Finnish Air Force Hornets practice aerial refueling with US KC-135 Stratotanker.

Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornets will train with a United States Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft on 24–26 January 2022.

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Four F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters and a KC-135 Stratotanker (Picture source: Finnish Air Force)

The Finnish Air Force conducts an air-to-air refueling (AAR) exercise with the United States Air Force two times a year. The objective of the exercises is to provide fighter pilots with AAR proficiency and currency training opportunities. Finnish F/A-18 pilots complete an AAR qualification as a part of their training.

Lapland Air Command will carry out the first AAR exercise of 2022 in cooperation with the United States Air Force’s 100th Air Refueling Wing (100 ARW) based at RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom. The exercise will involve Finnish F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters and a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker.

The exercise will be flown in Finnish airspace in an area bordering on Rovaniemi, Kuusamo, Kajaani and Oulu as a part of Finnish Air Force’s daily flight operations on 24–26 January 2022. The Finnish F/A-18s will fly from their homes bases in Rovaniemi, Rissala and Pirkkala. The KC-135 will operate out of Rovaniemi Air Base.

The air-to-air refueling exercises are a part of the Defence Forces’ international training and exercise plan, approved by the Finnish Ministry of Defence. Similar exercises have been conducted regularly since 2009. The previous AAR exercise took place in September 2021.