Finland approves U.S. glide bombs for F-35A fleet

Finland moved to give its F-35A fleet a capability it did not previously have, authorizing a new purchase of GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb II glide bombs for the air force’s fighter force. Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen approved the buy through the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, and the weapons will supplement the air-to-ground package already planned for the 64-aircraft fleet.

The decision is more than a munitions add-on. The SDB II is built to strike moving targets at medium range and to work in difficult weather, a practical advantage in a region where cloud cover, darkness and low visibility can complicate targeting. Finnish officials said the purchase expands the air force’s ability to contribute to multi-domain operations across the defense branches, while retired Colonel Henrik Elo said it adds an advanced capability the service did not previously possess.

The order also shows how tightly Finland’s fighter program is being built around the U.S. system behind the aircraft. The new purchase supplements a Foreign Military Sales contract signed in 2023, and the U.S. Congress had already approved the sale as part of the HX Fighter Programme. Finland chose the F-35 as the winner of its HX competition on Dec. 10, 2021, and the package covers 64 F-35A aircraft, a sustainment solution tailored to Finnish security-of-supply requirements and a comprehensive training program.

The rollout is already mapped out. The Finnish Defence Forces say the first Finnish F-35 fighters are expected to enter service in 2026 during training in the United States, with the first aircraft due to arrive at Lapland Air Wing the same year. Initial operational capability is planned for the end of 2027, Karelia Air Wing is set to receive its first F-35s in 2028, and full operational capability is targeted for the end of 2030. The F/A-18 Hornet fleet will be phased out as the new system comes online.

Raytheon describes StormBreaker, the current name for SDB II, as a guided gliding precision weapon that can track moving targets in low-visibility conditions. NAVAIR says the weapon supports in-flight target updates and mission abort after release, while defense-test documentation describes it as a 250-pound weapon with deployable wings and a multi-mode seeker. For Finland, that means the F-35 is being outfitted not just as a stealth fighter, but as a flexible strike platform built for the Nordic operating environment and for a deterrence strategy shaped by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.