USMC Hornets to Finland
From 2 - 20 June 2021, the Karelia Air Command Fighter Squadron 31 at Rissala air base (Finland) will host ten F/A-18C/D Hornets of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 115 Silver Eagles ('VE-xx') and one or two KC-130J Super Hercules tankers of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 452 Yankees ('NY-xxx').
The visiting Marines, which include 250 personnel, will arrive from home base MCAS Beaufort (SC) and Stewart Air National Guard Base (NY) and are part of the bilateral defence cooperation between Finland and the United States.
The USMC 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.
In 2021, the exercise will be led by the 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. ACE 21 will take place in June.
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.
This deployment will focus on training missions with air combat training, fighter tactics and interoperability, best practices and aerial refuelling. The Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force) will participate in the training missions with ten F/A-18s and four Hawks. Flying activity will take place on weekdays from 2 to 18 June 2021, between 08:00 and 17:00hrs local time. The flying areas are planned in a range of 200 kilometres from Rissala while some of the waves will be flown with Lapland Air Command's F/A-18s in the area between Kajaani and Rovaniemi.