Finland's Air Force Command has quietly discontinued the use of a swastika emblem that had been part of its unit insignia for nearly a century. The change, first noticed by University of Helsinki academic Teivo Teivainen, was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Finnish air force, who said the old emblem had caused misunderstandings and was considered impractical to continue wearing on uniforms.
The swastika had been used by the Finnish air force since its founding in 1918, long before it became synonymous with Nazi Germany. Until 1945, Finnish planes bore a blue swastika on a white background, a symbol introduced by Swedish count Eric von Rosen, who gifted the air force its first aircraft and used the swastika as a personal good luck charm. Although von Rosen later became a leading figure in Sweden's national socialist movement and a brother-in-law of Hermann Göring, the air force maintained that its use of the symbol was not intended to show allegiance to Nazism.
Since January 2017, the Air Force Command emblem has been replaced by a golden eagle and circle of wings, similar to the Air Force service emblem. However, the swastika still appears in some unit flags, decorations, and the emblem of the Finnish Air Force Academy. The spokesperson noted that the change was made to avoid confusion, as the old emblem had occasionally been misinterpreted.
Professor Teivainen, who had questioned the continued use of the symbol, said he never argued for a ban but believed the military's duty was to defend the nation, not an old symbol. He expressed concern that the swastika could affect young Finns' attitudes toward military service and potentially influence perceptions of Finland by neighbouring Russia and Western allies.
