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69-562: The Finnish Air Force had acquired 40+ surplus B-239 naval variants of the Brewster Buffalo and put them to good use during the Winter War , so it was decided in 1942 to produce a copy due to aircraft shortages. Chief designer Martti Vainio, along with designers Torsti Verkkola, Arvo Ylinen at Valtion Lentokonetehdas were tasked with designing the new aircraft as well as a replacement wing made of wood instead of metal. The Humu

138-601: A N.A.B. Albatros aircraft from the Nordiska Aviatik A.B. factory with funds gathered by the Finlands vänner ( Swedish for 'Friends of Finland') organization. This aircraft, the first to arrive from Sweden, was flown via Haparanda on 25 February 1918 by Swedish pilot John-Allan Hygerth (who on 10 March became the first commander of the Finnish Air Force) and Per Svanbäck. The aircraft made

207-542: A Swedish National Socialist political party, and brother-in-law to Hermann Goering , had painted his personal good-luck charm on the Thulin Type ;D aircraft. This logo – a blue swastika , the ancient symbol of the sun and of good luck, which was back then still used with non-political connotations – gave rise to the insignia of the Finnish Air Force. The white circular background originated when

276-486: A diverse inventory of Soviet, British, Swedish, French and Finnish aircraft. After leading Finnish politicians held unofficial talks with their Swedish counterparts, Sweden began storing surplus Saab 35 Drakens , intended for transfer to Finland in the event of a war against the Soviet Union. This practice continued until the 1980s. On 22 September 1990, a week before the unification of Germany, Finland declared that

345-712: A front-line squadron. Pilot training takes place at the Air Force Academy in Tikkakoski, with advanced conversion performed at squadron level. In 2023 the English name for the Air Commands was changed to Air Wing. The current Hornet fleet is set to begin being phased out from 2025, and to be completely decommissioned by 2030. The Finnish MoD initiated its Hornet replacement programme in June 2015, and named it

414-430: A later A-5 model in an attempt to stave off obsolescence. Various Russian designs also saw action when lightly damaged "kills" were repaired and made airworthy. Dornier Do 17s (received as a gift from Hermann Göring in 1942) and Junkers Ju 88s improved the bombing capability of the Finnish Air Force. The bomber force was also strengthened with a number of captured Soviet bombers, which had been taken in large numbers by

483-438: A new building containing a multipurpose arena seating 2,500 and more commercial development were announced in 2013. It will be sited on the border. Construction started in 2016 with a planned completion date in 2018. Haparanda has a subarctic climate courtesy of its northerly position, but in spite of this classification the climate is often quite mild. The marine airflow from the mild North Atlantic tempers winters in spite of

552-673: A result, and often resulted in interception of the attackers by the Finns as the Soviet bombers flew homeward. As the war progressed, the Finns tried desperately to purchase aircraft wherever they could. This policy resulted in a very diverse aircraft inventory, which caused some major logistical problems until the inventory became more standardized. The Finnish Air Force included numerous American, British, Czechoslovakian, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Soviet, and Swedish designs. Other countries, like South Africa and Denmark, sent aircraft to assist in

621-758: A stop at Kokkola and had to make a forced landing in Jakobstad when its engine broke down. It was later given the Finnish Air Force designation F.2 ("F" coming from the Swedish word " Flygmaskin ", meaning "aircraft"). Swedish count Eric von Rosen gave the Finnish White government its second aircraft, a Thulin Typ D . Von Rosen, later one of the founding members of the Nationalsocialistiska Blocket (" National Socialist Bloc "),

690-547: Is a dual gauge track, with Swedish 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) and Finnish 1,524 mm ( 5 ft ), in a four- rail gauntlet track formation. An IKEA retail store opened 15 November 2006 in a new commercial enterprise zone at the Haparanda-Tornio border, and is the northernmost IKEA store in the world. Though goods are priced in Swedish kronor only, instore signage

759-467: Is in both Swedish and Finnish. This single store attracts a claimed two million visitors every year, and has triggered "piggy-back" development of other large-scale retail outlets and a prototypical US-style shopping mall on the site. Although shops in Haparanda itself accept euros and Swedish kronor, many have closed in the face of competition from the out of town development. Notable buildings besides

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828-582: Is located near the Sweden-Finland border , at the northerly extreme of the Swedish coastline, as well as the easternmost point in Sweden, far removed from large cities. Its summers are very warm for a coastal location so far north, and winters are normally not extremely cold in spite of the relative proximity to the Arctic Circle . As a twin city , Haparanda has strong connections to Tornio and

897-672: Is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces . Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions. The Finnish Air Force was founded on 6 March 1918. The Finnish Air Force, one of the oldest air forces of the world, pre-dates the British RAF (founded as an independent entity on 1 April 1918) and the Swedish Flygvapnet (founded on 1 July 1926). The first steps in

966-538: Is served by three trains per day on weekdays. The line was closed to passenger trains between 1992 and 2021, when passenger services restarted. This was the only route open between Russia and Germany in World War I , and during World War II many of the approximately 80,000 Finnish children evacuated to Sweden entered the country here. 75,000 WWI prisoners of war were exchanged between the warring sides and 27,000,000 kg of mail, mostly from or to prisoners of war,

1035-668: The Allies from Russia, four had been gifts from Sweden and eight had been bought from Germany. The Winter War began on 30 November 1939, when the Soviet Air Force bombed 21 Finnish cities and municipalities. The Soviet Union had an estimated c. 5,000 aircraft in 1939, and of these, some 700 fighters and 800 medium bombers came to the Finnish front to support the Red Army 's operations. As with most aerial bombardments in

1104-459: The COVID-19 pandemic and the differing national responses in Sweden and Finland. Sweden has generally speaking implemented slightly laxer restrictions while Finland has closed borders and slightly stronger restrictions. Some Swedes have also experienced prejudice on the Finnish side of the border, by Finns, due to the worsening pandemic situation in Sweden. Haparanda has a railway station, which

1173-933: The Continuation War in September 1944, combined with the aircraft's poor performance, however, put the end to the project. The sole Humu, HM-671, was placed in storage in 1945. It was restored between 1972 and 1974 and is displayed at the Central Finland Aviation museum . Data from https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.php?aircraft_id=1585 General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Finnish Air Force The Finnish Air Force ( FAF or FiAF ; Finnish : Ilmavoimat , lit.   'Air forces'; Swedish : Flygvapnet , lit.   'Air arm')

1242-717: The Finnish Jägers , Lieutenant Bertil Månsson, had received pilot training in Imperial Germany , but he stayed behind in Germany, trying to secure further aircraft deals for Finland. During the Civil War the White Finnish Air Force consisted of: The air activity consisted mainly of reconnaissance sorties. The Germans brought several of their own aircraft, but they did not contribute much to

1311-563: The Gulf of Bothnia . Timber and furs from across northern Scandinavia and Russia arrived by water for shipping on to the rest of the world via the Baltic. Arctic and Antarctic expeditions of the 19th and 20th centuries, including that of Admiral Peary of the US, wore furs supplied by Hermansons, whose shop still stands in Haparanda, albeit closed now. Haparanda was the only open railway border crossing at

1380-594: The Heavy Airlift Wing based in Hungary . Haparanda Haparanda ( Swedish: [hapaˈrǎnːda] ; Meänkieli and Finnish : Haaparanta , lit.   ' aspen shore or bank ' ) is a locality and the seat of Haparanda Municipality in Norrbotten County , Sweden . It is adjacent to Tornio , Finland . Haparanda has a population of 9,166 inhabitants (2024). Haparanda

1449-568: The Reds – the socialist rebels with ties to Lenin 's Bolshevik Party . Finland's White Guard , the Whites , managed to seize a few aircraft from the Soviets, but were forced to rely on foreign pilots and aircraft. Sweden refused to send men and materiel , but individual Swedish citizens came to the aid of the Whites . The editor of the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet , Valdemar Langlet , bought

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1518-582: The Swiss Alps en route to Finland, killing all on-board (three Finns and one Italian). This day has since become the memorial day for fallen pilots. The Finnish Air Force assigns the matriculation numbers to its aircraft by assigning each type a two-letter code following by dash and an individual aircraft number. The two-letter code usually refers to the aircraft manufacturer or model, such as HN for F/A-18 H or n et, DK for Saab 35 D ra k en, VN for Valmet V i n ka etc. The Whites occupied most of

1587-625: The Wehrmacht during Operation Barbarossa . The bomber units flew assorted missions with varying results, but a large part of their time was spent in training, waiting until the time came to use the aircraft. Thus the bomber squadrons of Flying Regiment 4 were ready for the summer battles of 1944, which included for example the Battle of Tali-Ihantala (June to July 1944). While the FAF was successful in its mission, conditions were not easy. Spare parts for

1656-419: The "HX Fighter Program". A working group was created and it identified suitable aircraft. The final decision for choosing the new Air Force jet is based on five key considerations, which are the multi-role fighter's military capability, security of supply, industrial cooperation solutions, procurement and life cycle costs, and security and defence policy implications. An extensive questionnaire had been sent out

1725-593: The American Brewster Buffalo was the FAF's main fighter until 1943. Results with this fighter were very good, even though the type was considered to be a failure in the US Navy and with British and Dutch Far East forces. In Finnish use, the Brewster had a victory rate of 32:1 – 459 kills to 15 losses. German Bf 109s replaced the Brewster as the primary front-line fighter of the FAF in 1943, though

1794-560: The BBC reported that the FAF had "quietly stopped" using the symbol in the emblem of the Air Force Command. The von Rosen aircraft received the designation F.1. Its pilot, Lieutenant Nils Kindberg, flew the aircraft to Vaasa on 6 March 1918, carrying von Rosen as a passenger. As this gift ran counter to the policy of the Swedish government, and no flight permit had been granted, Sweden fined Kindberg 100 Swedish crowns for leaving

1863-619: The Buffalos continued in secondary roles until the end of the fighting. Other types, including the Italian Fiat G.50 and Curtiss Hawk 75, also proved capable in the hands of well-trained Finnish pilots. The principle reconnaissance type was the German Arado Ar 196 , which had been purchased in 1943 and continued to serve throughout the war, though by mid-1944 the planes' pre-war roots were showing and were subsequently modified to

1932-561: The Continuation War against the Soviet Union started in 1941. It had been considerably strengthened and consisted of some 550 aircraft, though many were considered second-rate and thus "exportable" by their countries of origin. Finland purchased a large number of aircraft during the Winter War, but few of those had reached service during the short conflict. Politics had also played a role, since Hitler did not wish to antagonize

2001-498: The Continuation War. The end of World War II in 1945 and the Paris peace talks of 1947 brought about some limitations imposed on the FAF. For example, the Finnish Air Force could have: These revisions followed Soviet demands closely. When Britain, fearing that the provisions only augmented Soviet air defences, tried to vary some of the conditions, the Soviets opposed such proposals. The revisions were again revised in 1963, and Finland

2070-546: The FAF planes were scarce — parts from the US (Buffalo and Hawk), Britain (Hurricanes), and Italy (G.50) were unavailable for much of the war. Repairs took often a long time, and the State Aircraft Factory was burdened with restoration/repair of captured Soviet planes and of foreign aircraft with many hours of flight time, and with the development of indigenous Finnish fighter types. Also, one damaged bomber took up workshop space equalling three fighters. Finland

2139-456: The Finnish arsenal were British-designed and -built Bristol Blenheim bombers. The primary fighter aircraft, the Fokker D.XXI, featured a cheap but maneuverable design with fabric-covered fuselage and fixed landing-gear. On paper, the Finnish air assets should have been no match for the attacking Soviet Red Air Force . However, the Finnish Air Force had already adopted the finger-four formation in

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2208-523: The Finnish side of the river and bilingualism of Swedish and Finnish is common although Swedish is the sole official language and the mother tongue of a vast majority of inhabitants. In 2010, it was estimated that 70% of Haparanda's inhabitants spoke Finnish as a second language. Haparanda, for historical reasons, is often still referred to as a "city" despite its small population, although Statistics Sweden only counts localities with more than 10,000 inhabitants as cities. The municipality itself, on

2277-516: The Finnish war effort . Many of these purchases and gifts did not arrive until the end of the hostilities, but would see action later during the Continuation and Lapland wars . To make up for its weaknesses (few and obsolete fighters) the FAF mainly focused on attacking enemy bombers from directions that were disadvantageous to the enemy. Soviet fighters were usually superior in firepower, speed and agility, and Finnish pilots avoided them unless

2346-614: The Finns painted over the advertisement from the Thulin air academy. The swastika was officially taken into use after an order by Commander-in-Chief C. G. E. Mannerheim on 18 March 1918. The FAF changed its aircraft insignia, which resembled the swastika of the Third Reich , after 1944 due to an Allied Control Commission decree, which prohibited fascist organizations. It nevertheless continues to feature in some unit emblems, unit flags and decorations, including on uniforms. In 2020,

2415-476: The Fokker D.XXI and Gloster Gladiator , had been replaced with new aircraft in front-line combat units. The FAF's main mission was to achieve air superiority over Finnish-held territory and to prevent Soviet air power from reinforcing the Red Army's front lines. The fighter squadrons proved very successful in the Finnish offensive of 1941. A stripped-down, more manoeuvrable, and significantly lightened version of

2484-543: The Soviet Union by allowing aircraft exports through German-controlled territory during the Winter War. In addition to Fokker fighters and Bristol Blenheim bombers built under license, new aircraft types were in place by the time hostilities with Soviet Union resumed in 1941. Small numbers of Hawker Hurricanes arrived from the United Kingdom, Morane-Saulnier M.S.406s from France, Fiat G.50s from Italy, and one liaison aircraft . Numerous Brewster F2A Buffaloes from

2553-620: The Whites during the war was flown over Lyly . It was a reconnaissance-gathering mission as the front-line moved south. As the line neared Tampere , the base moved first to Orivesi and then to Kaukajärvi near Tampere. The contribution of the White air force during the war was almost insignificant. From 10 March 1918, the Swedish Lt. John-Allan Hygerth led the Finnish Air Force. He was however replaced on 18 April 1918, due to his unsuitability for

2622-411: The aft fuselage adversely affected maneuverability due to the center of gravity being shifted. The first flight took place on 8 August 1944. Later flight testing gave a total flight time of 19 hours and 50 minutes. The aircraft was 250 kg (551 lb) heavier than calculated, its engine was underpowered, and it was felt that the fighter would not be able to compete against enemy aircraft. The end of

2691-763: The airbases that the Russians left in Finland after the Russian pilots had returned to Russia. The Reds possessed a few airbases and a few Russian aircraft, mainly amphibious aircraft – they had 12 aircraft in all. The Reds did not have any pilots themselves, so they hired some of the Russian pilots who had stayed behind. On 24 February 1918 five aircraft arrived at Viipuri, and were quickly transferred to Riihimäki. The Reds established air units in Helsinki, Tampere, Kouvola, and Viipuri. There were no overall headquarters, but

2760-472: The aircraft were captured by the Whites, while the rest were destroyed. In January 1918, the Whites did not have a single aircraft, let alone pilots, so they asked the Swedes for help. Sweden, a neutral country, could not send any official help. Sweden also forbade its pilots to aid Finland. Despite this official stance, however, one Morane-Saulnier Parasol , and three N.A.B. Albatros arrived from Sweden by

2829-456: The border instead (Haparanda and Tornio are within walking distance), eventually leaving Tornio unilingually Finnish. Haparanda was made a market town ( köping ) in 1821 and received its city charter in 1842. Into the early twentieth century Haparanda enjoyed commercial and political significance out of proportion to its size because of its position at the mouth of the Torne river at the head of

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2898-547: The border to Russia during World War I , and was used by Lenin on the journey by which he returned from exile. Haparanda/Tornio play in the second tier bandy division in Sweden, allsvenskan . Haparanda hosted matches in the Bandy World Championship 2001 . Other sports clubs located in Haparanda include: Relations between the neighbouring towns have always been friendly. A large portion of Haparanda's population speak both Swedish and Finnish . Today

2967-485: The country without permission. The F.1 aircraft is considered by some to be the first aircraft of the Finnish Air Force, which did not exist during the Civil War, while the Red side flew a few aircraft with the help of some Russian pilots. The F.1 aircraft was destroyed in an accident which killed its crew, not long after it had been handed over to the Finns. On 7 September 1920, two newly purchased Savoia flying boats crashed in

3036-403: The early stages of World War II , the damage to Finnish industry and railways was quite limited. At the beginning of the Winter War, the Finnish Air Force was equipped with only 18 Bristol Blenheim bombers and 46 fighters (32 modern Fokker D.XXIs and 14 obsolete Bristol Bulldogs ). There were also 58 liaison aircraft, but 20 of these were only used for messengers. The most modern aircraft in

3105-553: The end of February 1918. Two of the Albatross aircraft were gifts from private citizens supporting the White Finnish cause, while the third was purchased. It was initially intended that the aircraft would support the air operations of the Whites, but the aircraft ultimately proved unsuitable. Along with aircraft shortages, the Whites also did not have any personnel, so all the pilots and mechanics also came from Sweden. One of

3174-453: The enemy was in a disadvantageous position. As a result of these tactics, the Finnish Air Force managed to shoot down 218 Soviet aircraft during the Winter War while losing only 47 to enemy fire. Finnish anti-aircraft guns also had 314 confirmed downed enemy planes. 30 Soviet planes were captured – these were "kills" that landed more or less intact within Finland and were quickly repaired. The Finnish Air Force found itself better prepared when

3243-516: The final round. The cost for 64 aircraft was € 4.703 billion, and the initial weapons package ( € 754.6 million) and other associated costs (service equipment, reserve and replacement parts, training equipment and other systems and services were € 2.920 billion) bringing the package to € 8.378 billion. Additionally € 780 million are going to be used to upgrade facilities, and € 840 million are saved for later expenses, such as air-to-ground weapons, resulting in total expenses of € 9.998 billion, below

3312-809: The government of Finland stipulated a budget ceiling of € 10 billion for the HX fighter programme. In December 2015 the Finnish MoD sent a letter to Britain, France, Sweden and the US informing them that the fighter project had been launched in the Defence Forces. The request for information concerning the HX Fighter Program was sent in April 2016. Responses were received from all five participants in November 2016. The official Request for Quotation

3381-733: The history of Finnish aviation involved Russian aircraft. The Russian military had a number of early designs stationed in the Grand Duchy of Finland , which until the Russian Revolution of 1917 formed an autonomous grand duchy under the Russian Empire. Soon after the Finnish declaration of independence of 6 December 1917, the Finnish Civil War of January to May 1918 broke out, in which the Soviets sided with

3450-453: The individual units served under the commanders of the individual front lines. A flight school was set up in Helsinki, but no students were trained there before the fall of Helsinki. Two of the aircraft, one reconnaissance aircraft ( Nieuport 10 ) and one fighter aircraft ( Nieuport 17 ) that had arrived at Riihimäki were sent to Tampere, and three to Kouvola. Four Russian pilots and six mechanics also arrived at Tampere. The first war sortie

3519-452: The introduction of the aircraft. The air-to-ground package might consist of GBU-53/B SDB II bombs, GBU-31 JDAM bombs, JSM and AGM-158B-2 JASSM-ER missiles, which all were offered in the deal. The DSCA notification also mentioned BLU-117 , BLU-111 and BLU-109 bombs, as well as AGM-154C-1 Joint Stand Off Weapons (although the latter is unlikely as production ended in 2023). Note: Three C-17 Globemaster III 's are available through

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3588-736: The limit of € 10 billion. Costs per aircraft frame is € 73.48 million. The aircraft are planned to be delivered between 2026 and 2030, and is expected to replace the F/A-18s during the period 2028–2030. The F-35s are intended to be in service until the 2070s. The FAF expects the annual operating costs not to exceed € 254 million, which are the current operating costs for the F/A-18 fleet. The first weapons package will include AIM-9X Block II+ Sidewinder and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM missiles, and later on air-to-ground weaponry will be obtained when they reach sufficient maturity and will match their shelf life with

3657-529: The limiting treaties were no longer active and that all the provisions of the Paris Peace Treaties were nullified. In the 1990s, with the Cold War over, the Finnish Air Force ended its policy of purchasing Soviet/Russian aircraft and replaced the Saab Draken and MiG-21s in its fighter wing with US F/A-18C/D Hornets . As of 2021 the FAF is organized into three Air Commands, each assigned to one of Finland's three air-defence areas. The main Wing bases are at Rovaniemi , Tampere and Kuopio-Rissala , each with

3726-419: The low sun, whilst Haparanda retains enough continental influence for summers to be relatively warm, especially for a coastal city so far north. This is due to the large landmass surrounding the city in most directions as well as the brief midnight sun that normally lasts around 10 days. During summer, daylight is prevalent enough to allow daytime activities around the clock for a longer period than that. During

3795-468: The mid-1930s, which proved a much more effective formation than the Vic formation that many other militaries continued to use in 1939. To prevent their aircraft from being destroyed on the ground, the Finns distributed their aircraft to many different airfields and hid them in the nearby forests. The Finns constructed many decoys and built shrapnel-protection walls for the aircraft. Soviet air-raids on Finnish airfields usually caused little or no damage as

3864-400: The neutral USA strengthened the FAF. A few dozen Curtiss Hawk 75s captured by the Germans in France and Norway were sold to Finland when Germany began warming up its ties with Finland. Finns reconditioned captured Tupolev SBs , Ilyushin DB-3s , and Polikarpov I-153s for service. The FAF proved capable of holding its own in the upcoming battles with the Red Air Force. Older models, such as

3933-410: The other hand, uses the term Haparanda stad (City of Haparanda) not only for the town itself, but for its whole territory (927 km or 358 sq mi). At 24° 8' E, Haparanda is Sweden's easternmost settlement. When Sweden ceded Finland to Russia in 1809, the Finnish–Swedish border was drawn along the Rivers Tornio and Muonio . The town of Tornio , located on the island Suensaari in

4002-403: The overall outcome of the war. The first air-force base of independent Finland was founded on a lake shore near Kolho . The base could operate three aircraft. The first aircraft arrived by rail on 7 March 1918, and on 17 March 1918 took off from the base for the first time. In 1918 the Finns took over nine Russian Stetinin M-9 aircraft that had been left behind. The first air operation of

4071-402: The position and numerous accidents. The German Captain Carl Seber took over the role and commanded the air force from 28 April 1918 until 13 December 1918. By the end of the Civil War, the Finnish Air Force had 40 aircraft, of which 20 had been captured from the Reds (the Reds did not operate this many aircraft, but some had been found abandoned on Åland ). Five of the aircraft had been flown by

4140-426: The producers asking what their products can offer Finland in form of capabilities, cost, security of supply and the domestic industry's role, as well as security and defence policy impacts. The goal is to retain the numerical strength of the FAF fighter fleet, which means that the goal is to obtain some 64 aircraft. The MoD has estimated that the programme will cost somewhere between 7–10 billion Euros. In October 2019,

4209-476: The rail station (1918) include the Stadshotell (hotel and former town hall) of 1900, which has a first floor stateroom with magnificent chandeliers of Orrefors glass, and the landmark pepperpot-shaped watertower, erected in 1920. It no longer provides all the town's water, only the communal hot water supply. Haparanda's uncompromisingly modern church is by Bengt Larsson of the ELLT studio, and dates from 1967, its predecessor being destroyed by fire in 1964. Plans for

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4278-413: The river delta, became part of the Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire as demanded by czar Alexander I . (Finland declared independence in 1917.) At that time the town of Tornio was dominated by Swedish-speaking merchants and craftsmen, forming a linguistic island in a Finnish-speaking countryside. After the war many of the Swedes started to develop the small village of Haaparanta across

4347-533: The two towns are closely interconnected economically and socially; they constitute a transborder conurbation marketed as "EuroCity". Since Sweden and Finland are in different time zones , Haparanda is one hour behind Tornio. This allows a unique spectacle on New Year's Eve , when people can welcome the arriving year twice. Since 2005 the cities have rebranded themselves as "Haparanda-Tornio" in Sweden, and "Tornio-Haparanda" in Finland. In 2020 and 2021, this interconnectedness has experienced economic interruptions due to

4416-484: Was allowed to buy guided missiles and a few bombers that were used as target-tugs. The FAF also used a loop-hole to strengthen its capabilities by purchasing large numbers of two-seater aircraft, which counted as trainer aircraft and were not included in the revisions. These aircraft could have secondary roles. During the Cold War years ( c.  1947 to c.  1991 ), Finland tried to balance its purchases between east, west and domestic producers. This led to

4485-414: Was flown on 1 March 1918 over Naistenlahti. It seems likely that the Reds also operated two aircraft over the Eastern front. The Reds mainly performed reconnaissance, bombing sorties, spreading of propaganda leaflets, and artillery spotting. The Reds' air activity was not particularly successful. Their air operations suffered from bad leadership , worn-out aircraft, and un-motivated Russian pilots. Some of

4554-405: Was largely constructed out of wood due to scarcity of metals, but the frame was made from steel and its design followed closely that of the Brewster. It was planned that captured Soviet engines and instrument panels would be used. It was powered by a 930hp Shvetsov M-63 engine, previously tested on a Brewster. The wooden wing added 250 kg of extra weight and moving the fuels tanks from the wing to

4623-511: Was required to expel or intern remaining German forces as part of its peace agreement with the Soviets in September 1944. As a result, the Finns' fought their final air battles against retreating Luftwaffe units. The Finnish Air Force did not bomb any civilian targets during either war. Overflying Soviet towns and bases was also forbidden, as to avoid any unneeded provocations and to spare equipment. The Finnish Air Force shot down 1,621 Soviet aircraft while losing 210 of its own aircraft during

4692-405: Was sent in the spring of 2018. The goal is to start the fighter candidates’ environmental testing in Finland in 2019. The buying decision took place in 2021. On 10 December 2021, it was announced that Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II was the winner of the HX program. It was also revealed that neither the Dassault Rafale , Saab JAS 39 Gripen nor the Eurofighter Typhoon had gone through to

4761-433: Was sorted at Haparanda. Haparanda is connected to the Swedish national network by the Haparandabanan (Haparanda railway). The bridge between Haparanda and Tornio is the only direct connection between the Swedish and Finnish rail systems. The two networks use different track gauges , requiring all freight wagons crossing the border to have their cargo reloaded or their bogies exchanged . Between Haparanda and Tornio there

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