Silver Eagles at Rissala air base
Scramble Magazine reported on this USMC deployment on 12 May 2021.
Ilmavoimat's (Finnish Air Force) Hävittäjälentolaivue 31 (HävLLv 31, fighter squadron 31) at Rissala air base (Finland), operating the F/A-18C/D Hornet, is the host to ten F/A-18C/D Hornets of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 115 Silver Eagles ('VE-xx').
The Silver Eagles arrived at Kuopio/Rissala on 24 May 2021 and will stay untill 20 June 2021. The US Marine Corps detachment was originally scheduled to participate in the Arctic Challenge Exercise 21 (ACE 21) at Rovaniemi air base (Finland). Organised every second year by the Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian air forces, ACE is one of the largest live air exercises in Europe. The exercise is led by the Luftforsvaret (RNoAF, Royal Norwegian Air Force). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the exercise will be conducted with precautionary measures that limit the number of participants at Rovaniemi, Bodø and Luleå air bases.
During the visit, Finnish and USMC Hornets will fly training missions with the focus on air combat training. In addition, some waves will include air-to-air refuelling training. The Finnish Air Force will participate in the training missions with ten F/A-18s and four Hawk jet trainers. The deployment provides an opportunity to enhance fighter tactics and interoperability, as well as to share best practices with another Hornet squadron.
Daily flight operations will be more intensive than usual in the training areas used by Karelia Air Command. On weekdays this will be from 2 to 18 June 2021 between 08:00 hrs and 17:00 hrs (LT). Training missions will mostly take place within a distance of 200 kilometres from Rissala air base. In addition, some of the waves will be flown with Lapland Air Command's F/A-18s in the area between Kajaani and Rovaniemi.
The previous time USMC F/A-18s visited Finland was in May-June 2019 when the aircraft took part in the Bold Quest 19-1 and ACE 19 exercises.
The following VMFA-115 Hornets arrived on 24 May 2021:
KC-130J 169533/BH-533 of VMGR-252 arrived 1,5 hours after the USMC Hornets. It already returned to the USA on 26 May 2021. Another KC-130J, 169225/NY-225 of VMGR-452, arrived on 3 June 2021.
Photos by Harri Koskinen via FlyFinland and Ilmavoimat