The F-18 Hornets are to be loaded with US-made Jdam bombs (Joint Direct Attack Munition) during next week's test bombing at the Rovajarvi, the main artillery practice range of the Finnish Army.
The Finnish Air Force operates a mixed fleet of 55 McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F/A-18C Hornet single-seat multirole fighter jets (two out of the original 57 having been lost in accidents) and seven F/A-18D two-seat fighters.
The US-built planes are at about the halfway point of their effective lifespans. The last Hornets are scheduled for retirement by 2030, with the first leaving in 2025.
The planes, which are primarily designed and intended for the purpose of giving the Finns the capability to repel an attack, are being modified to function as assault planes, capable of hitting land-based targets from a long distance.
