The advanced AIM-120D3 air-to-air missiles will equip Finland’s new fleet of 64 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets.
The Finnish Air Force decided to equip its new F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets with the AIM-120D3 air-to-air missile.
Faced with the reality of an ever more truculent Russia, Finland is arming up in anticipation of a future conflict with its neighbor.
AIM-120D3 AMRAAMs for Finnish F-35 Lightning IIs
The US State Department gave Finland the green light for the procurement of hundreds of advanced air-to-air missiles.
Helsinki requested and will receive 405 AIM-120D3 AMRAAM missiles and eight AIM-120D-3 guidance sections worth approximately $1.07 billion.
The AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) is designed to take out targets at long ranges and is one of the two main air-to-air munitions (the other being the AIM-9X Sidewinder) of the US military.
“With the acquisition, Finland will have access to the latest and most capable missile version, which will improve our ability to respond to threats in the operational environment. The acquisition will further strengthen interoperability with the United States and other allies,” Finnish Minister of Defense Antti Häkkänen stated about the acquisition in a government press release.
The D3 version is the most advanced variant of the AIM-120 AMRAAM.
The Finnish Air Force is not new to the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Its fighter jet fleet already uses older variants of the air-to-air munition.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated.
Alongside Sweden, Finland joined NATO following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The Scandinavian countries decided to abandon decades of neutrality and join the transatlantic alliance because of concerns regarding the Kremlin’s destabilizing role in the region.
“The proposed sale will improve Finland’s capability to meet current and future threats and enhance its interoperability with U.S. and other allied forces,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated.
The AIM-120D3s will equip Finland’s new fleet of 64 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets. The first Finnish F-35A debuted on December 16 and will be delivered to the Finnish Air Force in early 2026, according to the manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
After much deliberation, the Finnish Air Force decided to replace its fleet of approximately 62 F/A-18C/D Hornets with the F-35A Lightning II.
The AIM-120 AMRAAM
The AIM-120 AMRAAM is an all-weather, radar-homing guided air-to-air missile. With an unclassified range of more than 100 miles for the D3 version, the AIM-120 can take out enemy targets before they come into visual range. This beyond-visual-range capability pairs very well with the F-35’s stealth characteristics, creating a powerful combination.
But the AIM-120D3 can also strike enemy aircraft, missiles, and unmanned aerial systems within visual range.
Moreover, a fighter jet can launch several AIM-120D3s at the same time but engage different targets.
The D3 comes with several software and hardware upgrades compared to previous versions, improving the air-to-air missile’s target acquisition, seeker range, counter-jamming, and flight characteristics capabilities.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: DVIDS.
