Exercise Snow Rider
February 6, 2025
Three No.41 Squadron Typhoon aircraft arrived in Finland during the fourth week of January. They consisted of a two-seat T.Mk 3 Tranche 3 aircraft (ZK379) and two Tranche 3 single-seater FGR.Mk 4s (ZK365 and ZK367). The aircraft will undergo test flights and winter trials at Tikkakoski Air Base in Jyväskylä and Halli Air Base in Jämsä until mid-March.
No.41 Squadron (also known as 41 TES or 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron) is the RAF’s Typhoon operational evaluation unit and will undertake the testing of advanced tactics and technologies in challenging winter conditions during Exercise Snow Rider. The aim is to assess the Typhoon’s performance and operational capabilities in harsh winter conditions.
Approximately 100 military and civilian personnel from the United Kingdom are participating in the testing. The RAF has brought its own maintenance and security personnel, along with the necessary equipment for winter testing.
The Finnish Air Force is providing host nation support, providing base services and host ground support for the RAF’s ‘Snow Rider Winter Trial’ event.
On 30 January the detachment was visited by the British ambassador to Finland, Laura Davies, who was hosted by Commander Evl Atila Batu of the based Ilmasotakoulu (Air Force Academy).
Since Finland became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on 4 April 2023, RAF Typhoons have made a number of deployments to the country.
In July 2023, Typhoon FGR.Mk 4s, based at Amari Airbase in Estonia for NATO Baltic Air Policing, forward-deployed to Tampere Airbase in Finland for Exercise Joutsen Strike. The RAF groundcrew rapidly constructed a Forward Arming and Refuelling Point (FARP), and rearmed and refuelled the aircraft for a mission dropping precision guided Paveway IV bombs on a Finnish range.
In September 2023, RAF Typhoons landed and took off from a road for first time during Exercise Baana. Two No.41 Squadron Typhoons flew from Rissala Air Base to take part in the Finnish Air Force’s annual training exercise operating from a single-lane road in Tervo.
It provided a valuable opportunity to expand the Typhoon force’s combat air knowledge and practice in using Emergency Landing Strips during dispersed operations.
From 29 April‒3 May 2024 the Finnish Air Force Academy hosted a visit of three Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons to Tikkakoski Air Base for exercise Swift Response 23. The RAF Typhoons deployed from a deployment in Romania to Finland to showcase the agility of NATO air assets in responding to evolving security challenges.
For the Finnish Air Force, the objective of the visit was to further enhance the bilateral co-operation and interoperability with the Royal Air Force.
