Finland looks to crown new fighter from overcrowded acquisition
Tests and evaluations of five candidates involved in Finland’s HX Fighter Programme (HX-FP) are set to run through to 26 February and will act as a decisive period in the country’s search for a F/A-18C/D replacement fleet.
The live trials of each competitor aircraft, hosted by Satakunta Air Command, are being held at Pirkkala air base and represent a major part of capability assessments to be made by the Finnish Air Force as it looks to gain a firsthand understanding of performance, sensors and systems in an operational environment which can typically reach temperatures of -1°C to -9°C.
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