Aircraft
Finland’s Multi-role Fighter Challenge Gets Under Way
Over the course of January and February the Finnish air force is evaluating the five contenders for its Hornet replacement program.
The Typhoons sent to Finland from the RAF’s No. 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron are the most advanced currently in squadron service. (photo: Eurofighter Finland)
The Typhoons sent to Finland from the RAF’s No. 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron are the most advanced currently in squadron service. (photo: Eurofighter Finland)

By the end of 2021, the Finnish ministry of defense is due to have selected a new multi-role fighter to replace the F/A-18C/D Hornet aircraft of the Suomen Ilmavoimat (Finnish air force) by 2030. As part of the selection process for the program, known as HX, the five contenders have been invited to Finland to take part in what has been dubbed the “HX Challenge,” a series of in-country evaluations.

On January 9, the Challenge began when two Eurofighter Typhoons landed at the Pirkkala airbase, near Tampere in southeastern Finland. A media day followed. The aircraft—a single-seat FGR.Mk 4 and two-seat T.Mk 3—came from the RAF’s No. 41 Squadron, which acts as the service's Typhoon test and evaluation unit. BAE Systems is the lead Eurofighter partner for the Finland campaign.

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