The Finnish Air Force will deploy six F/A-18 Hornet multi-purpose combat aircraft to the Cobra Warrior 23-1 exercise in the United Kingdom from 6 to 24 March 2023. Cobra Warrior is the Royal Air Force’s international tactical training event, occurring twice a year. The Finnish Air Force will participate in the exercise for the first time in March 2023. The exercise will take place from 2 to 24 March, involving 70 aircraft and directed by personnel at RAF Waddington.
“We will participate in the Cobra Warrior exercise because the Royal Air Force is a significant partner for us bilaterally, within the context of Joint Expeditionary Force collaboration, and as a prospective NATO ally. For the Finnish Air Force, enhancing interoperability with the United Kingdom and other JEF nations also promotes cooperation within NATO,” states Chief of Staff, Air Force Command Finland, Brigadier General Timo Herranen.
For the Finnish Air Force, the objective of the Cobra Warrior 23-1 exercise is to train alongside the Royal Air Force, to improve interoperability with potential NATO allies, and to advance the integration of 4th and 5th generation fighter aircraft. In total, approximately 70 aircraft will participate in the exercise.
The Finnish F/A-18s will operate from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire. Besides the F/A-18 detachment, the exercise will include Finnish fighter controllers at the Control and Reporting Centre at RAF Boulmer.
The Finnish Air Force’s involvement in Cobra Warrior 23-1 will form part of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) collaboration. Finland joined the JEF in 2017. The UK Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a United Kingdom-led expeditionary force comprising Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway. Eight of these countries are also NATO members, with Finland and Sweden currently outside the alliance as their applications await ratification.