Finnish, Swedish and U.S. Air Forces to train air-to-air refueling

Finnish F/A-18 Hornets and Swedish JAS 39 Gripens will train with a United States Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft on 4–5 April 2023.

The aim of the two-day training event is to train, maintain and renew the air-to-air refueling qualifications of Finnish and Swedish fighter pilots. Both Finnish F/A-18 pilots and Swedish Gripen pilots complete an air-to-air refueling qualification as a part of their training. 

The Finnish and Swedish Air Forces will conduct the training event in cooperation with the United States Air Force’s 92nd Air Refueling Wing (92 ARW) based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. The activity will involve Finnish F/A-18 Hornet, Swedish JAS 39 Gripens, and a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker.

The training event will be flown in the airspace of northern Finland as a part of Finnish Air Force’s daily flight operations on 4–5 April 2023. The F/A-18s and the Gripens will fly from their home bases in Finland and Sweden, and the KC-135 will operate out of Spangdahlem Air Base.