The US Air Force conducted a military exercise in Finland, dropping bombs on a training range for the first time. The Finnish Air Force reported that on March 6, F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets of the Finnish Air Force accompanied two US B-52 bombers to the Rovajärvi military training range, where the B-52s dropped JDAM bombs on targets designated by Finnish and US air reconnaissance.
According to Brigadier General Aki Puustinen, the Chief of Staff of the Finnish Air Force, the exercise demonstrated Finland’s ability to cooperate with the US military and strengthened the collective defense of NATO in Northern Europe. The Finnish Air Force has been conducting regular joint exercises with the US Air Force in Finnish airspace since July 2024. Finnish F-18 fighter jets also participated in a US bomber command exercise, organized by the US under the leadership of NATO allies.
In a previous statement, Russian Ambassador to Finland Pavel Kusnetsov told the RIA Novosti news agency that the demonstration of US B-52 bombers over Finland proved that the Pentagon was opening a new potential war zone for its military.
Finland joined NATO on April 4, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Finland’s membership in the alliance was senseless in terms of the country’s national interests, as Russia would have to station troops and weapons along the border after the membership.