Satakunta Air Command
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Satakunta_Air_Command".

The Satakunta Air Command (Finnish: Satakunnan Lennosto, abbrevated SatLsto), also known as the Satakunta Wing is the peace-time Finnish Air Force unit, responsible for the protection of the airspace of southern Finland. Its headquarters is located at the airport of Pirkkala, near the city of Tampere.

The Satakunta Wing was founded on 26 June 1918 in Sortavala and was moved to Suur-Merijoki 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 109s. It was the first unit of the Finnish Air Force to be equipped with jet aircraft, when it received its De Havilland Vampires. It was later to receive Folland Gnats 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.

Organization

Headquarters flight

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

External links

• Satakunta Air Command

v • d • e Finnish Air Force Flying Regiments (Historical) Flying Regiment 1 • Flying Regiment 2 • Flying Regiment 3 • Flying Regiment 4 • Flying Regiment 5 • Flying Regiment 19 Squadrons No. 1 Sqn • No. 4 Sqn • No. 6 Sqn • No. 10 Sqn • No. 11 Sqn • No. 12 Sqn • No. 14 Sqn • No. 16 Sqn • No. 17 Sqn • No. 20 Sqn • No. 21 Sqn • No. 22 Sqn • No. 24 Sqn • No. 26 Sqn • No. 28 Sqn • No. 29 Sqn • No. 30 Sqn • No. 31 Sqn • No. 32 Sqn • No. 33 Sqn • No. 34 Sqn • No. 35 Sqn • No. 36 Sqn • No. 38 Sqn • No. 39 Sqn • No. 40 Sqn • No. 41 Sqn • No. 42 Sqn • No. 43 Sqn • No. 44 Sqn • No. 45 Sqn • No. 46 Sqn • No. 48 Sqn • Flight Depot 2 • Flight Depot 2 • Test Flight Sqn • Test Sqn Current Wings Karelian Wing • Satakunta Wing • Lapland Wing Current Schools Air Force Academy • Training Air Wing • Aircraft and Weapon Systems Training Wing Current direct reporting units C4IS Material Command • Air Material Command • Finnish Intelligence Research Establishment