Between September 22 and 26, the Finnish Air Force led Exercise Protective Fence 25 with a significant deployment of combat aircraft and personnel, focusing on dispersed air operations to strengthen readiness and availability under NATO Air Command coordination. In addition to the host nation’s F/A-18 Hornet fighters, the exercise also featured JAS-39 Gripen from the Swedish Air Force.
Set in Northern Europe, in the context of heightened tensions on NATO’s Eastern Flank and elsewhere on the continent, around 1,200 personnel were mobilized to carry out one of the most important air exercises of the year for the Finnish Air Force. Finland deployed its F/A-18C/D Hornet fighters, Hawk trainer aircraft, and received support from the Finnish Army, which contributed NH90 tactical helicopters for search and rescue missions, air defense and electronic warfare units, as well as the Finnish Border Guard, which assigned a Dornier 228 surveillance aircraft.
For its part, the Swedish Air Force participated with JAS-39 Gripen fighters and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. Denmark also sent one of its C-130 Hercules to Finnish territory.
The exercise activities focused on operations conducted from multiple air bases to practice the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, under which aircraft and crews are dispersed across various locations to enhance survivability, adaptability, and rapid reinforcement.
Among the air bases from which the aircraft operated were Rovaniemi, Kuopio-Rissala, Jyväskylä-Tikkakoski, and Tampere-Pirkkala, in addition to airports in Oulu, Vaasa, and Kokkola-Pietarsaari in Finland, and Kallax Air Base in Luleå, Sweden.
The operations also provided an opportunity to increase readiness and coordination with TARASSIS, a UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force from Northern Europe, which is carrying out a series of activities in the Nordic and Baltic regions during September and October under NATO’s framework.
Finally, such deployments under NATO’s umbrella highlight the reinforcement of interoperability being developed by the alliance’s newest members, as well as their deterrence capabilities in the face of a complex security scenario in Northern Europe. In recent days, the region has witnessed incursions of drones of unknown origin in several countries. It is worth recalling that last week Norway faced a drone intrusion that temporarily forced the closure of Oslo airport, while in Denmark and Sweden suspicious sightings also led to delays and cancellations of civilian flights.
Photos used for illustrative purposes.
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