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Finland Orders AIM-120D-3 AMRAAMs for its F-35As

FlyMarshall NewsroomBy No Comments6 Mins Read

The AIM-120D-3, the most advanced variant of the ARMAAM, will equip Finland’s incoming F-35As, the first of which was officially rolled out on Dec. 16, a week after the first flight.

Finland has decided to go ahead with the procurement of AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) for the Finnish Air Force F-35A Lightning II fleet, Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen announced last week. This follows a Sep. 10, 2025, Foreign Military Sale (FMS) approval by the U.S. government for 405 AIM-120D-3 AMRAAMs, worth $1.07 billion.

On Dec. 16, RTX shared a statement by Finland’s Ministry of Defense announcing the order.

The D3 is the most advanced version of the missile, with several software and hardware upgrades to enhance the weapon’s flight characteristics, seeker range, sensitivity, target acquisition and jamming resistance. It must be noted that the weapon will not be used by Finland’s roughly 62 legacy F/A-18C/D Hornets, which the Lightning IIs are meant to replace.

The first of Finland’s 64 F-35As, serial JF-501, flew for the first time on Dec. 8, 2025, from Naval Air Station Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. A formal rollout ceremony was then held on Dec. 16, in the presence of senior Illamvoimat (Finnish Air Force), government and Lockheed Martin officials, including the country’s President Alexander Stubb.

Deliveries are expected to start in 2026, and all F-35As will be delivered equipped with the Technology Refresh (TR-3) software code, meant to support the future Block 4 hardware.

‘Best missile for F-35 fighters’

The Dec. 12 Ministry of Defense statement, while saying Minister Antti Häkkänen “has authorized the Defense Forces to acquire AMRAAM AIM-120D-3 missiles from the United States,” added that the D-3 is the “latest and the most advanced version of the missile,” which is “compatible with the F-35A multirole fighter” and “will complement the weapons systems of the future F-35 fleet.”

Häkkänen said in the statement: “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.”

The DSCA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency) FMS notice said the 405 AIM-120D-3 AMRAAMs will be provided in addition to eight guidance sections – the WGU-54/B – with precise positioning provided either by the Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module or M-Code. Non-Major Defense Equipment (MDE) items include instructional literature and documentation, spare parts and supplies, transportation services, and training, repair and support services provided by the manufacturer and supplier in accordance with the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA). The contract also includes services provided by the U.S. government.

The AIM-120D primarily includes enhancements and tweaks to the “way the missile flies for long-range shots,” explained Jon Norman, Raytheon’s vice president for requirements and capabilities, when an F-22 fired the longest-known shot with an AIM-120.

AMRAAM JATM
An F-35A Lightning II launches an AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) over a military test range off the California coast. (Image credit: Paul Weatherman/Lockheed Martin)

Conducted over the Eglin Air Force Base range in Florida, the test validated the form, fit, function refresh (F3R) upgrade effort for the AMRAAM, said Norman. An optimized software, that adopted flight profiles to exploit the high speed and altitude of the F-22 and the F-35, was also supported by some modernized electronics and a more efficient battery. We have covered these missile flight and kinematic tactics revolving around a ‘loft’ maneuver that many long-range AAMs perform, which you can read about here and here.

Finnish F-35As

On the sidelines of JF-501’s roll-out ceremony on Dec. 16 at Fort Worth, Texas, Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen upheld the Finnish U.S. defense and strategic partnership, and Helsinki’s role in defending NATO’s “north-east flank.”

“This Rollout-ceremony underlines that Finland is committed to investing in security and defence […] The purchase of 64 very capable F-35 fighters will not only strengthen Finland’s Defence, but also Nato’s deterrence and defence in general,” Häkkänen said according to a Finnish MoD press release at the time.

JF-501 had first rolled out of the assembly line late in October at NAS-JRD Fort Worth, which hosts the Lockheed Martin facility. The Ilmavoimat is expected to begin receiving its F-35As by the latter half of 2026, with the first eight aircraft delivered to Ebbing ANGB (Air National Guard Base), Arkansas. Ebbing ANGB hosts the training for the Finnish and several other air forces.

Airframes from JF-509 onwards will be directly delivered to the Ilmavoimat’s Lapland Air Wing in Rovaniemi, where they will join HävLLv 11 (11 Squadron). Karelia Air Wing’s Rissala Air Base, in south-east Finland, will be the second main F-35 base and will receive its own F-35As from 2028.

The first batches of the service’s maintainer and pilots are also undergoing training at Eglin AFB, Florida, and Ebbing ANGB. The latter already hosts the ground technical training and flying training for F-35 personnel from Poland, Germany, Switzerland and Singapore.

 

Fresh airbase, runway upgrade and reconstruction works are also undergoing at Karelia Air Base to handle Finland’s own and allied NATO F-35 operations, while the Patria Group on announced on Oct. 14 the “on schedule” completion of the assembly and maintenance facility for F-35 fighter jet engines, located in Linnavuori, Nokia.


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