EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ark. – Two F-22 Raptors from the Virginia Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Squadron touched down at Ebbing Air National Guard Base June 16 for a joint-training exercise with Finnish Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft.
The Raptors, assigned to the 192nd Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, are participating in integrated flight operations with Finnish Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft currently training at Ebbing. The exercise focuses on sharpening air dominance tactics and strengthening combined readiness between U.S. and allied forces.
The brief but intense two-day window underscores Ebbing’s growing role as a premier training hub for allied fifth-generation fighters.
“The Razorback Range gives us unmatched flexibility for multi-aircraft training,” said Col. Jonathan Esparza, commander of the 188th Wing. “Its capabilities allow us to host complex, realistic scenarios that build interoperability and readiness for our U.S. and international partners.”
The range is owned and maintained solely by the 188th Wing at Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center, and has become the de facto Joint Terminal Attack Controller, or JTAC, training hub for the Air National Guard. It offers surface-to-30,000-foot airspace, and thousands of target arrays for day and night training, making it one of the best assets in the Air National Guard for building real-world readiness. In 2025, it supported 424 aircraft sorties and 644 inert munitions drops.
Arkansas National Guard senior leaders also highlight the strategic value of hosting these advanced international exercises.
“Hosting these advanced training opportunities with our international partners showcases Arkansas’ commitment to global security and the exceptional capabilities of Ebbing Air National Guard Base,” said Brig. Gen. Olen (Chad) Bridges, the adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard. “Events like this not only enhance interoperability but also solidify our state’s contribution as a key player in fifth-generation fighter readiness.”
The exercise also advances the Virginia-Finland State Partnership Program, established in 2024. Through the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, or SPP, the two states focus on military-to-military exchanges that enhance interoperability, especially as Finland integrates the F-35 into its NATO operations.
“The Virginia Air National Guard’s experienced pilots and maintainers are a vital asset to this nation’s air dominance around the globe,” said Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the adjutant general of the Virginia National Guard. “Sharing their expertise with our Finnish partners through the State Partnership Program strengthens our shared capabilities, interoperability, readiness and lethality.”
Finnish F-35 operations at Ebbing fall under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales training pipeline. After academic and simulator phases elsewhere, Finnish pilots conduct live-flight training at Ebbing alongside aircraft from partner nations including Poland, Germany, Switzerland and Singapore. The arrival of Virginia’s F-22s offers a rare chance to practice fifth-generation integration in realistic coalition scenarios.
Col. Tuukka Elonheimo, the chief of the Foreign Liaison Office of the Finnish F-35 program, said the training is invaluable.
"In the U.S., the Finnish Air Force personnel not only learn to operate the F-35, but they and the Americans also learn more from and about each other day by day,” Elonheimo said. “We are truly honored by how warmly the Ebbing ANGB, the local community, and now Virginia ANG – with its F-22 salute – have welcomed and are supporting our presence in the U.S."