Finnish Air Force

The Finnish Air Force (Finnish: Ilmavoimat) is one of the braches of the Finnish Defence Forces.

Organisation

The Air Force is organised into three commands, each of which operates a fighter squadron:

• Air Force Headquarter at Tikkakoski
• Lapland Air Command (Fighter Squadron 11) at Rovaniemi
• Karelia Air Command (Fighter Squadron 31) at Kuopio
• Satakunta Air Command (Fighter Squadron 21) at Tampere
• Support Squadron at Tikkakoski
• C3 Systems School at Tikkakoski
• Finnish Air Force C3I Materiel Command at Tikkakoski
• Air Force Academy at Kauhava
• Aircraft and Weapon Systems School at Halli
• Flight Test Center of Air Force at Halli
• Air Materiel Command at Tampere

The three commands are part of the Defence Forces' Readiness formations.

Commanders

• Captain Carl Seber 28.04.1918 - 13.12.1918
• Lieutenant Colonel Torsten Aminoff 14.12.1918 - 09.01.1919
• Colonel Sixtus Hjelmmann 10.01.1919 - 25.10.1920
• Major Aarne Somersalo 26.10.1920 - 02.02.1926
• Colonel Väinö Vuori 02.02.1926 - 07.09.1932
• Lieutenant General Jarl Lundqvist 08.09.1932 - 29.06.1945
• Lieutenant General Frans Helminen 30.06.1945 - 30.11.1952
• Lieutenant General Reino Artola 01.12.1952 - 05.12.1958
• Major General Fjalar Seeve 06.12.1958 - 12.09.1964
• Lieutenant General Reino Turkki 13.09.1964 - 04.12.1968
• Lieutenant General Eero Salmela 07.02.1969 - 21.04.1975
• Lieutenant General Rauno Meriö 22.04.1975 - 31.01.1987
• Lieutenant General Pertti Jokinen 01.02.1987 - 31.01.1991
• Lieutenant General Heikki Nikunen 01.02.1991 - 30.04.1995
• Major General Matti Ahola 01.05.1995 - 31.08.1998
• Lieutenant General Jouni Pystynen 01.09.1998 -

Equipment

• McDD F-18 C/D Hornet (HN), fighter interceptors (63)
• BAE Hawk Mk51/51A (HW), trainers (51). The Hawks can also be fitted with AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and ground attack munitions.
• Learjet 35A/S (LJ), used for transportation, surveillance, target towing and aerial photography. (3)
• Valmet L-70 Vinka (VN), trainers (28)
• Fokker F.27 (FF), transportation aircraft (2)
• Valmet L-90 TP Redigo (RG), liaison aircraft (9)
• Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain (PC), liaison aircraft (6)
• Piper PA-28 Arrow (PA), liaison aircraft (7)

See also

List of air forces

External link

• Finnish Air Force (http://www.ilmavoimat.fi/index_en.php)
• Pictures of Finnish Air Force aircraft at Airliners.net (http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Finland%20-%20Air%20Force)

fi:Suomen Ilmavoimat

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