Rysky taivaalla = A bump in the sky

The Saab Draken appeared in the skies of Finland in 1972, and over the years a total of 50 aircraft were purchased in Finland. The Draken and the MiG-21 were the main interceptors of the Finnish Air Force in the final years of the Cold War. For the Air Force, the Draken was particularly important as a Western fighter plane. As the largest fighter type in terms of numbers, it also bore the main responsibility for Finland's air defense.

The Saab Draken was a very advanced type of fighter in its time. It was the Air Force's first true "all-weather" fighter, which enabled fighter combat in all conditions. With Draken, the Air Force re-adopted the practice of arcing combat, which was part of the Swedish air combat doctrine.

Author Jukka Hoffrén is an aviation history enthusiast from the Aviation Museum Association.