Finland has become the second nation to deploy F-35 fighter jets to Ebbing Air National Guard Base, joining Poland in what military officials describe as an expanding international pilot training program critical to allied defense capabilities.
The first Finnish F-35 Lightning II touched down at the Arkansas facility on Jan. 20, marking what Finnish Air Force Col. Tuukka Elonheimo called a historic milestone for his country. Seven more Finnish aircraft will follow, with approximately 20 pilots expected to begin training in May.
“The delivery of the first F-35 is a concrete milestone for the Finnish Air Force, and it has been a lot of work behind the scenes, years and months waiting for this to happen,” Elonheimo said during an arrival ceremony on the windswept tarmac.
The Finnish contingent joins Polish pilots and aircraft that arrived at Ebbing last year, bringing the base’s total F-35 count to 16 aircraft by summer. Col. Nick Ihde, commander of the 85th Fighter Group stationed at Ebbing, said the goal is to train an initial cadre of Finnish pilots who can return home and build their own training programs as Finland expands its F-35 fleet.
“We will build their first initial cadre and then, when they go back to Finland, they can self-support and start upgrading their own people and start producing their own F-35 pilots,” Ihde said.
Finland has operated F/A-18 Hornets for years but is transitioning to the fifth-generation F-35, which Elonheimo said brings capabilities the country needs in today’s security environment. The shift mirrors moves by other allied nations phasing out fourth-generation aircraft in favor of the more advanced platform.
Fort Smith was selected as an international training site largely because it sits outside major commercial air traffic routes, military officials said at a Polish pilot graduation ceremony last May. But the expanded operations have required adjustments. After 12 years without fighter aircraft at the base, local air traffic controllers have had to relearn how to manage multiple jets operating simultaneously, a far cry from the three daily American Airlines flights and occasional civil aircraft typical at Fort Smith Regional Airport.
“Getting four, to six to eight aircraft a day to fly in a pattern at the same time is where we are learning the most,” Ihde said, noting that operations have already increased over the past few weeks.
The training program reflects broader allied efforts to strengthen interoperability and collective defense. Ihde emphasized that multiple nations from European and Pacific theaters will learn U.S. F-35 tactics and take that knowledge back to their home countries.
“Fort Smith is the precipice of global security right now,” Ihde said. “If you think about it, multiple countries in the European theater and Pacific theater will be here learning to fly F-35s and how to integrate and interact with United States F-35 tactics.”
Elonheimo echoed that sentiment, saying international cooperation in Fort Smith is highly important given the current security landscape. “In today’s security environment, we have to increase our deterrence and defense capability,” he said.
Maj. Jennifer Gerhardt, chief of public affairs for the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Wing, said residents should expect more F-35s overhead but likely won’t notice significant changes to flight schedules. The aircraft will continue taking off during the same morning and afternoon windows, just in greater numbers.
Ebbing ANGB is poised to become a hub for international F-35 training. Poland’s participation, beginning last year, is the first step in this multinational training initiative. Germany will follow Finland in Fall 2026. Singapore will also participate, sending F-35s for pilot training in Fall 2026 and expanding its presence in Summer 2027 with F-16 fighter jets from Luke Air Force Base. This will be the only instance of a non-F-35 aircraft participating in the program. Finally, Switzerland is expected to arrive at Ebbing with its F-35 fleet in Summer 2027.
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