Invisible fighters on polar roads: As Finland is going to fight with Russia

But not all NATO Air Force flying on Lightnings is the same. Finland, who ordered 64 F-35 aircraft in 2022 and joined the Transatlantic Alliance a year later, can be the most important European operator of the stealth fighter. This is due to the fact that Finland has an 800-mile border with Russia-the longest among all NATO members. And right on the other side of this border, on the Kola Peninsula and in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, there are many of the most powerful Russian rockets.

Most of the territory of Finland is within the reach of Russian terrestrial air defense systems and launchers of the Earth-Earth class, writes in Article 2024, Major General Yukha-Pekca Keryanne, commander of the Finnish Air Force. This forces the Finnish Air Force-160 combat aircraft, which pilot and serve 3,000 current and 38,000 reserve servicemen placed on dozens of active bases, act differently than other NATO air forces.

In wartime, most Finnish aircraft will be dangerous for most of the time, regardless of whether they are on earth or in the air. Russian missiles can get them almost anywhere in Finland. "To conduct hostilities within the radius of the enemy's weapons and in the controversial airspace, the Finnish Air Force created an exceptional combat doctrine," Kemen explained.

To complicate the aiming of the Russians, the Finns regularly raise their planes from civilian airfields and even from the areas of the highway, which serve as runways. Exceptional skill is mandatory. In order to have a chance to survive, not to mention the fight of the Russians, Finnish pilots should be one of the best in the world. And not just in the air: they must be vigilant on the ground. The main problem for the Finns is not their doctrine and preparation. These are their planes.

Currently, Finnish Air Force uses 61 outdated F/A-18C/D HORNET aircraft purchased Helsinki in the 1990s. For all their maneuverability and flexibility, two-engine F/A-18 is not distinguished by hidden. Finnish Hornet is likely to appear on the screens of Russian radars immediately after take -off. With Stelsov F-35, Finnish pilots should be more safe in the air. "The F-35 design takes into account the principles of work of the Air Force," Keanen wrote.

But Finnish pilots are not going to risk on the ground. They expect to be dispersed, as it is now, at civilian airfields and makeshift road bases, even when the inconspicuous F-35 will begin to replace the multi-impartial F/A-18 in 2026. It's easier to say than to do. Compared to Hornet, F-35 is gentle and demanding.

The F/A-18 was a naval fighter before it began to fly with land and it retained a rigid chassis and the ability to take a short take-off that could be expected from a plane designed to launch and land on aircraft carrier. F/A-18 and Finland were an obvious couple. If you do not take into account the benefits of its reflection form, and the coating that absorbs the radio signal, the F-35 is less obvious for Finns with their strict bases on the highway.

F-35 is not the most reliable fighter in the world; In service with the United States, this type has a relatively low 50 percent readiness. In order to take advantage of the stealth F-35, the Finnish Air Force must put up with the relative fragility of the fighter. To convince the Finns that the aircraft can work outside the large, convenient-but vulnerable-the airbaz, in September two aircraft F-35 of the US Air Force flew to Finland from the United Kingdom and landed on the highway.

It also encouraged Americans. "The ability to learn from our Finnish colleagues increases our ability to quickly deploy and use air power from unconventional places and reflects the collective readiness and maneuverability of our forces," said General James Hecker, commander of the US Air Force in Europe. In the end, the US Air Force seeks to become more similar to the Finnish Air Force.

It is not necessary to help in the possible future fight against the Russians, but to make the US Air Force fighters more living in the fight against Chinese. Key American bases in the Pacific are in the area of ​​Chinese rockets, which poses to the US Air Force generals the same problems as General Keryannen. Many observers, including the US Navy head, believe that the Pacific War can begin in 2027.