The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston and the Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin MP, have travelled to Finland conducting Defence Engagement, meeting with industry partners and supporting the Typhoon Display Team.
The RAF are regular attendees at the Finnish Air shows which are run by the Aeroclub of Finland and change location each year. Last year’s show was held in Western Finland and headlined by the Red Arrows. The last show in Helsinki was held in 2017 and marked the 100th anniversary of the event and saw RAF Aerobatics Team and the Typhoon Display Team perform to an estimated 130,000 spectators.
The Chief of the Air Staff met with his Finnish counterpart, Major General Pasi Jokinen during a day of bilateral meetings and industry talks against the backdrop of the show, which included displays by the Patrouille de France, Rafale, and Gripen as well as an F-35B Lightning flypast.
"The Eurofighter is the largest and most successful European defence programme in history, bringing the might of German, Italian, Spanish and UK aerospace industries and government together. With more than 550 aircraft already in service, Eurofighter is the backbone of European air defence now, and will be so for many decades to come. Eurofighter is used by Air Forces in Europe and around the world for our most demanding missions. As I speak, we have Eurofighter aircraft and their crews ready to launch in minutes to protect the United Kingdom and Europe."
Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston
Chief of the Air Staff
Following the Solo Typhoon display, a 4-ship of both RAF and German Air Force Eurofighters conducted a flypast of the event.
"It is always a great privilege to demonstrate the capability of the RAF Typhoon and as a team we are incredibly grateful for the warm welcome we have received here in Helsinki. It is also great to represent the UK overseas again and to engage with the other display teams."
Flight Lieutenant Sainty
Typhoon Display Pilot
