CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND LONG TERM VISION. >> AND THE FIRST JET FROM FINLAND ARRIVED TODAY AT THE EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE IN FORT SMITH AS PART OF THE FOREIGN MILITARY SALES PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM. NOW WE KNOW FINLAND IS THE SECOND COUNTRY IN THAT’S TRAINING AT THE EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE. >> THAT’S WHERE 40/29’S BRETT RAINS IS TONIGHT. WITH MORE ON WHO WILL BE JOINING OUR COMMUNITY IN THE RIVER VALLEY. >> TOWN SUPPORT HAS BEEN OVERREACHING, AND THAT’S BEEN GREAT TO SEE. >> STRONGER TOGETHER. >> WE JUST TEACH THEM HOW TO LEARN THE F-35. THAT’S THE FIRST STEP. AFTER THAT, IT’S MORE OF BECOMING AN INSTRUCTOR IN THE F-35. >> THIS IS THE FIRST FINLAND OWNED F-35 FIGHTER JET TO TOUCH DOWN IN FORT SMITH. SOON THE NUMBERS WILL INCREASE TO EIGHT JETS, AS WELL AS THE PILOTS AND MECHANICS WHO WILL BE TRAINING AT EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE WHILE LIVING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. >> 100 FINLAND FOLKS WILL BE HERE ENJOYING GOING GOING TO THE RESTAURANTS AND ENJOYING THIS AMAZING, AMAZING FORT SMITH COMMUNITY. SETTLING IN 6000 MILES AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL HOME WILL BE WAY, WAY MUCH EASIER. AND THAT’S WHAT WE APPRECIATE. >> FORT SMITH IS THE PRECIPICE OF GLOBAL SECURITY RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, MULTIPLE COUNTRIES WITHIN THE EUROPEAN THEATER AND PACIFIC THEATER ARE GOING TO BE HERE, LEARN AND FLY F-35S AND LEARNING HOW TO INTERACT AND INTEGRATE WITH US F-35 TACTICS TO TAKE BACK TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. >> AND TODAY’S VERY VOLATILE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT. WE HAVE TO INCREASE OUR DETERRENCE AND DEFENSE CAPABILITY. THIS AMAZING STATE OF THE ART F-35 WILL WILL BRING THE NEW CAPABILITIES WE DEFINITELY NEED. >> FINLAND IS THE SECOND ALLIED COUNTRY TO TRAIN IN FORT SMITH. THEY JOIN POLAND AND THEIR EIGHT FIGHTER JETS. 85TH FIGHTER GROUP COMMANDER NICK ID OVERSEES THE FOREIGN MILITARY SALES PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM. HE SAYS MOST RESIDENTS WILL NOT NOTICE TOO MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE AS MORE JETS TAKE TO THE SKIES OVER THE RIVER VALLEY. >> THERE SHOULD BE THE SAME TIME FRAMES, JUST MORE AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF IN THAT TIME FRAME. AND WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS IT’S ALREADY PLUSSED UP. OVER THE LAST 2 OR 3 WEEKS, WE’VE FLOWN FOUR IN THE MORNING AND TWO IN THE AFTERNOON. SO IF YOU DIDN’T NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE, THAT’S GREAT. IT’LL INCREASE SLIGHTLY AS WE GET MORE AIRCRAFT A
Finnish fighter jet arrives in Fort Smith for pilot training program
The first Finnish F-35 fighter jet arrived at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith today, marking the beginning of Finland’s involvement in the Foreign Military Sales Pilot Training Program alongside Poland.Col. Nick Ihde, commander of the 85th Fighter Group, praised the local community’s support, saying, “Town support has been overreaching. And that’s been great to see. We just teach them how to learn the F-35. That’s the first step. After that, it’s more of becoming an instructor in the F-35.”Col. Tuukka Elonheimo, Finland’s chief foreign liaison, emphasized the importance of the training, saying, “Stronger together.”The Finnish contingent will soon consist of eight fighter jets, pilots and mechanics who will train at the base while living in the Fort Smith community. “One hundred Finland folks will be here enjoying going to the restaurants and enjoying this amazing Fort Smith community,” Elonheimo said. “And settling in 6,000 miles away from the original home will be way, way, much easier, and that’s what we appreciate.”Ihde highlighted Fort Smith’s strategic importance, saying, “Fort Smith is the precipice of global security right now. I mean, if you think about it, multiple countries within the European theater and Pacific theater are going to be here learning fly F-35s and learning how to interact and integrate, with us, F-35 tactics to take back to their home countries.”Elonheimo added, “In today’s very volatile security environment, we have to increase our deterrence and defense capability. This amazing, state-of-the-art F-35 will bring the new capabilities we definitely need.”Finland joins Poland, which already trains on their eight fighter jets at the base. Ihde, who oversees the training program, assured residents that the increase in aircraft activity would be minimal. “It should be the same time frames, just more aircraft taking off in that time frame. And, what I would tell you is it’s already, plus-ed up over the last two or three weeks. We flew four (jets) in the morning and two in the afternoon. So if you didn’t notice any difference, that’s great. It’ll increase slightly as we get more aircraft in more countries,” he said.Ihde mentioned that by late 2027, the base is expected to host a full complement of 24 F-35 and 12 F-16 fighter jets for training, with the potential addition of 12 more F-35s pending approval of an environmental impact study.
The first Finnish F-35 fighter jet arrived at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith today, marking the beginning of Finland’s involvement in the Foreign Military Sales Pilot Training Program alongside Poland.
Col. Nick Ihde, commander of the 85th Fighter Group, praised the local community’s support, saying, “Town support has been overreaching. And that’s been great to see. We just teach them how to learn the F-35. That’s the first step. After that, it’s more of becoming an instructor in the F-35.”
Col. Tuukka Elonheimo, Finland’s chief foreign liaison, emphasized the importance of the training, saying, “Stronger together.”
The Finnish contingent will soon consist of eight fighter jets, pilots and mechanics who will train at the base while living in the Fort Smith community.
“One hundred Finland folks will be here enjoying going to the restaurants and enjoying this amazing Fort Smith community,” Elonheimo said. “And settling in 6,000 miles away from the original home will be way, way, much easier, and that’s what we appreciate.”
Ihde highlighted Fort Smith’s strategic importance, saying, “Fort Smith is the precipice of global security right now. I mean, if you think about it, multiple countries within the European theater and Pacific theater are going to be here learning fly F-35s and learning how to interact and integrate, with us, F-35 tactics to take back to their home countries.”
Elonheimo added, “In today’s very volatile security environment, we have to increase our deterrence and defense capability. This amazing, state-of-the-art F-35 will bring the new capabilities we definitely need.”
Finland joins Poland, which already trains on their eight fighter jets at the base. Ihde, who oversees the training program, assured residents that the increase in aircraft activity would be minimal.
“It should be the same time frames, just more aircraft taking off in that time frame. And, what I would tell you is it’s already, plus-ed up over the last two or three weeks. We flew four (jets) in the morning and two in the afternoon. So if you didn’t notice any difference, that’s great. It’ll increase slightly as we get more aircraft in more countries,” he said.
Ihde mentioned that by late 2027, the base is expected to host a full complement of 24 F-35 and 12 F-16 fighter jets for training, with the potential addition of 12 more F-35s pending approval of an environmental impact study.