F-35 bound for Finland remains in the Azores due to malfunction — YLE News
One of the F-35 fighters heading to Finland remained in Portugal’s Azores due to a technical malfunction. During startup, the onboard diagnostic system reported a possible problem, YLE News reports.
Two aircraft arrived in Rovaniemi
On Wednesday, a group of six Finnish and Belgian F-35s departed the United States for Portugal’s Azores. Three fighters were due to arrive in Rovaniemi on Friday, but ultimately two aircraft landed there.
Finnish Air Force Chief of Staff Aki Puustinen said that specialists were trying to determine the cause of the alert. When it became clear that identifying the malfunction would delay the departure of the entire group, the aircraft’s engine was shut down so that the problem could be properly investigated and fixed.
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A spare part is being delivered to the Azores
According to Puustinen, the issue is a minor malfunction involving avionics, the aircraft’s electronic systems. The necessary spare part is being delivered to the Azores.
The group that continued the flight consisted of five F-35s and KC-135 tanker aircraft. It is impractical to ferry the fighter to Finland separately, as the transatlantic flight requires support from tanker aircraft. Therefore, the F-35 will be delivered to Finland together with the next batch of aircraft.
Puustinen noted that in peacetime, decisions to abort a mission are made even when risks are minor in order to avoid danger.
