Will Acquisition of F-35s Inspire Finland to Join NATO and Deter Russian Aggression?

Video Above: F-35s to Europe

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

Will Finland join NATO? It is an interesting question in light of the country’s decision to acquire the F-35 and join a collective force of networked, European-based 5th-generation aircraft.

Finland is described as an allied or partner nation regarding NATO but has not formally joined the alliance. Many speculate this could be due to concerns that Russia would be extremely unhappy and threatened by the development. Should that stop Finland? Particularly if the country were backed by the protective NATO article 5 security guarantee ensuring an alliance-wide collective security posture. An attack on one, amounts to an attack on all, something designed as a formidable deterrent against any Russian aggression.

Would F-35s Inspire Finland to Join NATO?

Could acquiring the F-35 change this equation and potentially inspire Finland to more formally join NATO? It certainly seems possible given that an ability for F-35s to network to one another from many European countries adds a new security dimension to Finland for sure. Not only would Finland have its own force of F-35s but would also be reinforced and heavily supported by a multi-national force of F-35s.

The collective power of NATO and NATO-aligned F-35 countries could be positioned to greatly outmatch any fleet of Russian Su-57s, according to multiple news reports about the emerging Russian fleet of Su-57s. 

An interesting report in The National Interest from last Fall says Russia only operates 12 Su-57s and plans to acquire 70 by 2027. Should the Russian fleet approach 70 or more in coming years, it by no means will come anywhere close to the number of US and allied F-35s operating on the European continent. There are many unknowns related to which aircraft may be superior, as a margin of difference would likely pertain to sensor range and fidelity, stealth performance, computing and weapons delivery.