Finland F-35A JF‑502 Touches Down In Arkansas As Next Step In Pilot Training Program

Finland’s second F‑35A Lightning II multirole fighter aircraft, tail number JF‑502, landed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas on February 18, 2026 as part of the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program supporting Finnish pilot training operations.

Arrival And Training Mission

The Finnish Air Force continues building its F‑35A fleet, procured under a 64‑jet contract to replace legacy F/A‑18 Hornet fighters in the HX program. After the first aircraft, JF‑501, touched down at Ebbing in January, JF‑502’s arrival marks the next phase of training for Finnish pilots and maintainers under the U.S. Air Force training framework.

Ebbing, adjacent to Fort Smith Regional Airport, serves as a key training node for NATO and allied F‑35 units. The 57th Fighter Squadron, reactivated in 2024 to support international training, operates alongside the U.S. Air National Guard and hosts multinational pilot programs including Polish and Finnish F‑35 trainees. Short‑term missions are designed to help incoming aircrews become proficient on the aircraft and its systems before aircraft return to Finland or transit to bases in Europe.

Broader F‑35 Program Context

Finland’s acquisition is part of a larger trend of allied nations moving to the F‑35 platform for multirole air superiority and interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces. The Lightning II remains a core component of air defense modernization across Europe, with multiple nations receiving or training on F‑35A variants.

Ebbing’s role complements other U.S. training hubs such as Eglin AFB in Florida and supports rising allied demand for fifth generation fighter pilot throughput. The integration of foreign pilots at U.S. training bases helps standardize tactics and supports collective defense postures.

What Comes Next

With JF‑502 now in place, Finland’s F‑35 training rotation will continue through 2026 and into 2027. Additional aircraft will likely follow to support expanded training and evaluation phases before units begin transitioning jets to operational squadrons in Finland later in the decade.