JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
A contingent of Virginia Air National Guard personnel recently spent time observing PROTECTIVE FENCE 2025, a major exercise conducted by the Finnish Air Force to test its air component readiness Sept. 22 - 26, 2025, in Finland.
Ten Airmen traveled to Finland with the goal of identifying and sharing best practices across the key functional areas of flying operations, maintenance, force protection and intelligence. The exercise provided an opportunity to directly examine Finnish tactics related to agile combat employment, or ACE.
Virginia and Finland are formally paired under the State Partnership Program, a relationship formally established in 2024 designed to foster mutual understanding and improve interoperability.
The VaANG’s flying operations representatives observed multiple iterations of dispersed operations, agile mission planning and the dynamic targeting process as executed by the Finnish Air Force. They were able to tour mobile mission planning vehicles and gained insights into the technological integration that enabled pilots to receive updated mission orders quickly. The observers were particularly impressed by the speed and adaptability of the Finnish fuel, maintenance and weapons teams.
Maintenance personnel focused on the Finnish Air Force’s efforts to ensure operational tempo and reduce targeting opportunities for adversaries. They observed the deployment of maintenance teams to austere locations, including civilian airports and highway landing strips. The rapid setup and tear-down of maintenance capabilities, the use of easily transportable equipment and the focus on performing only necessary repairs at dispersed locations were key observations.
The force protection team examined the Finnish approach to securing resources and personnel during dispersed operations. They observed the use of mobile surveillance vehicles and the integration of armed maintainers into the overall security posture, along with plans to acquire military working dogs to enhance future F-35 operations. The Finnish Air Force’s ability to operate with relatively small teams and maximize individual capabilities was also noted.
Intelligence specialists focused on improving the Finnish Air Force’s tactical intelligence capabilities and integration. The VAANG team shared best practices related to pre-mission briefings, intelligence reporting, and the development of an understanding of the operational environment. They provided instruction and resources intended to help build a more robust intelligence training pipeline.
Tech. Sgt. Nicholas, a 192nd Intelligence Squadron All-Source Instructor, raved about his experience during the trip.
“Participating in the PROTECTIVE FENCE exercise was an excellent opportunity,” Nicholas said. “We were able to learn from and make significant contributions to our partner’s tactics. Feedback we gave was implemented almost immediately and it was clear that the Finns were meaningfully considering our inputs. We made a real and positive impact through our instruction and hope to be able to do so again in the future.”
The SPP agreement between the Virginia National Guard and the Finnish Defense Forces represents a commitment to friendship and cooperation on NATO’s Nordic and Baltic periphery. The two organizations have served alongside each other in past deployments and continue to seek opportunities to improve interoperability and enhance mutual capabilities.