Finland’s first operational F-35A fighter has touched down in Arkansas, turning a long-planned procurement into a visible training partnership on U.S. soil. The arrival at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith marks the moment when Finland’s transition to the fifth-generation jet moves from contracts and test flights into daily flying, maintenance and joint instruction with American units.
The aircraft’s deployment to the United States is more than a symbolic milestone. It is the opening move in a multi-year training pipeline that will shape how Finnish pilots, ground crews and commanders integrate the F-35A into the country’s air defense posture and into wider cooperation with NATO allies.
The first Finnish F-35A lands in Arkansas
The first Finnish Air Force F-35A Lightning II, designated JF-501, landed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith earlier this week, completing a ferry flight that formally begins Finland’s U.S.-based training phase. The aircraft is the lead example of a fleet that will replace legacy fighters in Finnish service, and its arrival at the Arkansas installation signals that the program has moved from factory testing into operational preparation with American support.
According to Finnish defense officials, the aircraft JF-501 conducted its maiden flight on 8 December 2025 as part of factory test flights and was later presented to the public before being handed over for the journey to the United States, with the number 501 now closely associated with Finland’s entry into the F-35 community. The Finnish Air Force has framed the move as a carefully sequenced step, noting that the jet’s transfer to Arkansas follows a period of controlled testing and public rollout at home.
Why Ebbing Air National Guard Base matters
Ebbing Air National Guard Base has been selected as the central hub for Finland’s F-35A training in the United States, tying the Nordic country’s modernization effort to a long-standing American training ecosystem. The base, located alongside the Fort Smith Regional Airport, offers shared runways, established support infrastructure and proximity to training airspace that can accommodate the intensive flight schedules required for conversion to a new fighter type.
Local reporting has highlighted how an F-35A fighter jet belonging to the Finnish Air Force arrived at the Fort Smith Regional Airport and Ebbing Ai complex on a Tuesday in Jan, underscoring the shared civilian and military footprint that will host the training mission. U.S. Air Force accounts describe the location as EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ark., emphasizing its role as a dedicated training site for allied F-35 operators as more partner nations bring their aircraft into service.
From factory floor to first training sorties
The journey of JF-501 from assembly line to Arkansas illustrates how tightly choreographed the F-35A induction process has become. After its maiden flight in early December as part of factory test flights, the jet completed additional checks before being formally accepted by Finnish authorities and prepared for the transatlantic ferry. That sequence ensured that the first aircraft to arrive in the United States had already proven its basic performance and systems reliability under controlled conditions.
Finnish defense statements note that the aircraft’s transfer to Ebbing Air National Guard Base was timed to align with the start of a structured training syllabus for pilots and maintainers, rather than as a one-off ceremonial visit. The official announcement that Finland’s first F-35A multirole fighter has reached the base in Jan, recorded as 20.1 and 20.21 in official material, underscores that this is the opening of a sustained presence that will see more aircraft follow as the program ramps up.
Training goals for Finnish pilots and crews
The Arkansas deployment is designed to give Finnish pilots and ground crews access to established American training pipelines while they build their own procedures for operating the F-35A in northern European conditions. Over the coming years, Finnish aviators will learn to exploit the jet’s sensors, data links and low observable features in complex scenarios, while maintenance teams absorb the routines needed to keep a fifth-generation fleet mission ready in harsh weather.
U.S. Air Force accounts of the arrival describe how the first Finnish Air Force, or FINAF, F-35A Lightning II touched down at Ebbing Air National in Fort Smit, setting the stage for a multi-year training rotation that will see Finnish personnel embedded alongside American instructors. Local coverage from Fort Smith notes that the Finnish Air Force F-35 jet’s arrival at Fort Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith welcomes the start of a multi-year training program and that preparations are already under way for the Finnish pilots’ arrival, a process that will gradually expand the footprint of Finnish personnel in Arkansas.
Local impact and broader strategic context
For Fort Smith and the surrounding region, the Finnish F-35A presence adds an international dimension to a base that already plays a significant role in U.S. Air National Guard operations. The shared use of Fort Smith Regional Airport and the military installation means residents will see more advanced jets in the pattern, while local businesses and civic leaders anticipate economic benefits from a steady flow of visiting personnel and their families tied to the training mission.
Regional outlets have reported that the Finnish Air Force F-35 jet’s arrival at Fort Ebbing Air in Fort Smith is seen locally as the beginning of a long-term relationship, with community leaders preparing to welcome Finnish pilots and support staff. The base’s location, which can be pinpointed through public mapping tools that highlight the Ebbing facility, reinforces how a relatively small Arkansas city has become a focal point for an international fighter program that links local runways to the security calculations of a northern European state.
