Satakunta Air Command
Encyclopedia
The Satakunta Air Command is the peace-time Finnish Air Force
unit, responsible for the protection of the airspace of western and western part of southern Finland
. Its headquarters is not located in the present-day province of Satakunta, but in historical Satakunta
and in the present-day province of Pirkanmaa
, at the Tampere-Pirkkala Airport
in Pirkkala
.
The Satakunta Wing was founded on 26 June 1918 in Sortavala
and was moved to Suur-Merijoki, near Vyborg
in 1938. The unit was disbanded after the Winter War
, but restated in Aunus
in 1942. In 1944 the unit was moved to Pori
and it was equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109
s. It was the first unit of the Finnish Air Force to be equipped with jet aircraft, when it received its De Havilland Vampire
s. It was later to receive Folland Gnat
s and MiG-21s. The unit was renamed into the "Satakunta Wing" in 1957 and the headquarters was moved to Tampere in 1965. The 21st Fighter Squadron
was moved to the Pirkkala Airport in 1985 and it was the first unit to be equipped with F-18 Hornet fighters in 1995.
The 21st Fighter Squadron
is the operational unit of the wing.
1st Flight: Fighter flight, equipped with F-18C/Ds and also trains mechanics
2nd Flight: Fighter flight, equipped with F-18C/Ds and trains pilots
4th Flight: Liaison flight, equipped with Valmet Vinka, PA-31-350 Chieftain, Valmet L-90TP Redigo aircraft
Finnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...
unit, responsible for the protection of the airspace of western and western part of southern Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Its headquarters is not located in the present-day province of Satakunta, but in historical Satakunta
Satakunta (Historical province)
Satakunta is a historical province of Finland. It borders the historical provinces of Finland Proper, Tavastia and Ostrobothnia, also the Gulf of Bothnia....
and in the present-day province of Pirkanmaa
Pirkanmaa
Pirkanmaa , or the Tampere Region , is a region of Finland. It borders on the regions of Satakunta, Tavastia Proper, Päijänne Tavastia, Southern Ostrobothnia and Central Finland....
, at the Tampere-Pirkkala Airport
Tampere-Pirkkala Airport
Tampere-Pirkkala Airport is located in Pirkkala, south-west of Tampere city centre. The airport is the third busiest airport in Finland, as measured by the number of passengers , and the second busiest airport in Finland, as measured by the number of international passengers...
in Pirkkala
Pirkkala
Pirkkala is a municipality of Finland.It is located some south-west from Tampere in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
.
The Satakunta Wing was founded on 26 June 1918 in Sortavala
Sortavala
Sortavala is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga. Population: It is an important station of the Vyborg-Joensuu railroad.-History:...
and was moved to Suur-Merijoki, near Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
in 1938. The unit was disbanded after the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
, but restated in Aunus
Olonets
Olonets is a town and the administrative center of Olonetsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, situated on the Olonka River, to the east from Lake Ladoga. Population: -History:...
in 1942. In 1944 the unit was moved to Pori
Pori
Pori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
and it was equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
s. It was the first unit of the Finnish Air Force to be equipped with jet aircraft, when it received its De Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
s. It was later to receive Folland Gnat
Folland Gnat
The Folland Gnat was a small, swept-wing British subsonic jet trainer and light fighter aircraft developed by Folland Aircraft for the Royal Air Force, and flown extensively by the Indian Air Force....
s and MiG-21s. The unit was renamed into the "Satakunta Wing" in 1957 and the headquarters was moved to Tampere in 1965. The 21st Fighter Squadron
No. 21 Squadron, Finnish Air Force
Fighter Squadron 21 is a Finnish fighter squadron located in Pirkkala, near Tampere. It is the operational part of the Satakunta Wing.-Organization:...
was moved to the Pirkkala Airport in 1985 and it was the first unit to be equipped with F-18 Hornet fighters in 1995.
The 21st Fighter Squadron
No. 21 Squadron, Finnish Air Force
Fighter Squadron 21 is a Finnish fighter squadron located in Pirkkala, near Tampere. It is the operational part of the Satakunta Wing.-Organization:...
is the operational unit of the wing.
Organization
Headquarters Flight1st Flight: Fighter flight, equipped with F-18C/Ds and also trains mechanics
2nd Flight: Fighter flight, equipped with F-18C/Ds and trains pilots
4th Flight: Liaison flight, equipped with Valmet Vinka, PA-31-350 Chieftain, Valmet L-90TP Redigo aircraft