Satakunta Air Command



The Satakunta Air Command (Satakunnan Lennosto, abbr. SatLsto; Satakunta flygflottilj) 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.

History
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 Airport 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