For airborne military drills, 14 nations in northern Europe bordering Russia participate in the Arctic Challenge. This year's operation, which is held every two years, features a diverse range of aircraft from Western countries.
The Arctic Challenge, Europe's largest military aviation exercise, will bring together the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and others. Since May 29, 14 nations, including 12 NATO members, have been involved in this operation in Sweden, Norway, and Finland, close to Russia. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, this region has been fraught with tensions. It is vital to recall that Finland's entrance to NATO in early April ended decades of coerced neutrality and later military non-alignment following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
American and European F-35s, French Rafales and Mirages, Danish and Dutch F-16s, Finnish and Swiss F-18s, and Swedish Gripens... All of these planes are taking part in the roughly two-week drills that begin on Friday.
This year, around 150 aircraft have attended the rendezvous. "It's the biggest organized so far," said Finnish Air Force Colonel Henrik Elo.