Finland, Sweden fly first joint intercept of Russian aircraft

Finnish and Swedish quick reaction alert fighters flew together to identify Russian military aircraft over the Gulf of Finland on September 24, 2026, the Finnish Defence Forces said. It was the first operational identification mission the two air forces have flown jointly.

Finnish F/A-18 Hornets and Swedish JAS 39 Gripens were launched to intercept the Russian formation, which was in international airspace. Directing the mission was the Finnish Air Force's Air Operations Centre.

The aircraft identified included a Tupolev Tu-134 transport, Mikoyan MiG-31 fighters and Sukhoi Su-30 fighters.

The Finnish Defence Forces announced the mission in a release dated September 25, 2026, a day after it took place.

The flight follows a decision the Finnish Defence Forces made public in late August 2026 to expand cooperation with Sweden on safeguarding Finland's territorial integrity. Sweden's contribution includes JAS 39 Gripen fighters and a Visby-class corvette stationed in the Baltic Sea region. Those assets are meant to bolster air surveillance and allow Finland to keep resources available for possible airspace violations and other incidents.