Tampere-Pirkkala Air Base

Tampere-Pirkkala Air Base is located in Pirkkala, Finland, 13 kilometers southwest of the Tampere city center. The current facility was established in 1979 following the closure of the original Tampere airport in Härmälä, which had operated since 1936. The airfield functions as a joint-use facility, supporting both civil aviation and military operations.

The base is operated by Finavia and serves as the headquarters for the Satakunta Air Command of the Finnish Air Force. The military component of the airfield is responsible for supporting the command's mission and managing the air force installations on-site.

Infrastructure at the base includes two passenger terminals and dedicated military facilities. Terminal 1 was completed in 1996, and Terminal 2 underwent renovation between 2014 and 2015. Historically, the base hosted squadrons of F-18 Hornets. These aircraft were stationed at Tampere-Pirkkala until mid-2014, when the 21st flight of the Satakunta Air Command was dissolved. The base continues to house the units of the Satakunta Air Command and supports a variety of fixed-wing operations.