Did Finland and Sweden conduct their first joint Quick Reaction Alert identification of Russian aircraft over the Gulf of Finland on September 24, 2026?

Yes. The Finnish Defence Forces said Finnish and Swedish Quick Reaction Alert fighter jets were scrambled on 24 September 2026 to intercept and identify Russian military aircraft in international airspace over the Gulf of Finland. Officials described it as the first joint operational identification mission for the two air forces.

Finnish F/A-18 Hornets and Swedish JAS 39 Gripens, directed by Finland’s Air Operations Centre, identified a Russian detachment that included a Tu-134 transport aircraft plus MiG-31 and Su-30 fighters. The mission followed deeper Finnish–Swedish cooperation that lets QRA jets operate from each other’s bases.

Source: Finnish Defence Forces — Finland and Sweden identify Russian aircraft together for the first time

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