NATO E-3A Sentry AWACS flow a mission in Finnish airspace

This was the first time a NATO E-3A Sentry AWACS has flown a mission in Finnish airspace.

The Finnish Air Force conducted joint flight sorties with a NATO E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. The AWACS (airborne warning and control system) participated in the Air Force’s daily flight operations, and the joint flight sorties included F/A-18 Hornets from Karelia and Lapland Air Wings. The airborne warning aircraft was also refuelled in Finland. This was the first time a NATO E-3A Sentry AWACS has flown a mission in Finnish airspace. Joint capabilities developed together with Allies provide significant added value to the national air defence and surveillance system in Finland, which is commanded by the Air Operations Centre.

Also on board the flight was Master Sergeant Aleksi Härkönen, the first Finnish member of the E-3A Sentry crew. He serves on the AWACS as a weapons controller, performing duties equivalent to those of a fighter controller. During the first mission in Finnish airspace, international and Finnish procedures were coordinated and operations with Finnish fighter detachments in Finland were practised. Härkönen acted as a link between NATO AWACS and the Finnish side, which facilitated the planning and execution of the flight.

–Everything went very smoothly, and I consider this a good baseline for planning future activities. Flying over Finland felt like coming home. I had a chance to work with familiar fighters in a different environment than before when I served in Finland. As a Finn, I can be proud of how smoothly the sortie went and how ready people in Finland are to help and solve problems together. AWACS aircrew have thanked the Air Operations Center and 5th Control and Reporting Centre and other parties involved in the flight sorties.

Härkönen began his NATO assignment in December 2024, and his first flight as a member of the airborne early warning crew took place in April 2025. During nearly a year in the role, he has participated in operations in several different countries and has worked not only with Allies but also with non-allied nations. He has also begun instructor training, after which he will train new weapons controllers.

–It has been eye-opening and interesting to serve in this role. I can still say that the training and experience gained in Finland are internationally compatible. Now that the flying-related training has become second nature, so that I no longer have to think about it, I can focus fully on subject-matter expertise. I have also been able to broaden my understanding of the overall process of operations planning.