EUAFA

EUROPEAN AIR FORCE ACADEMIES

   FINLAND

 

AIR FORCE ACADEMY

 Commander

 COMMANDER
 Colonel (OF-5)
 Ville HAKALA

  


Task: Commandant of Air Force Academy

Date and place of birth: 15.8.1974, Pori

Military career:

  • Cadet School, National Defence University 1995 – 1999
  • Fighter pilot, Fighter Squadron 21 1999 -
  • Flight Instructor, Fighter Squadron 21 2003 - 2004
  • Air Combat Instructor, Fighter Squadron 21 2004 – 2008
  • Deputy leader of 2nd Fighter Flight, Fighter Squadron 21 2004 – 2006
  • Leader of 2nd Fighter Flight, Fighter Squadron 21 2006 - 2008
  • Staff officer’s course, National Defense University 2008 - 2009
  • Fligh Safety Officer, Satakunta Air Command 2009 – 2010
  • General Staff officer’s course, National Defense University 2010 - 2011
  • Chief of Resource Plans Section, Air Force Command Finland 2011 – 2012
  • Chief of Flight Operations, Air Force Command Finland 2012 – 2014
  • Commander of Fighter Squadron 31, Karelia Air Command 2014 – 2015
  • Chief of Operational and Contingency Plans Section, Air Force Command Finland 2015 – 2017
  • Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff (DACOS) Air Force Operations, Air Force Command Finland 2017 – 2019
  • Deputy Chief of Air Operations Centre, Air Force Command Finland 2019 – 2021
  • Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS) Air Force Personnel, Air Force Command Finland 2021 – 2023
  • Director of Postgraduate Programme, National Defence University 2023 – 2024
  • Director of Air Force Academy 2025 –

PROMOTIONS:

  • First lieutenant 1999, Captain 2004, Major 2011, Lieutenant colonel 2014, Colonel 2021

HONOR:

  • Knight, First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland
  • Medal for Military Merits
  • Cross of Merit of the Air Force, with clasp
  • Cross of Satakunta Air Wing
  • Cross of Air Force Academy


 Structure

  Contact

Address

  • Air Force Academy
  • Viestitie 50, 41161 Tikkakoski
  • P.O. Box 7, FI-41161 TIKKAKOSKI
  • Finland

Phone numbers, POC, Email


Web Page

 Images from Academy

 Commandant’s Conference

In 1993 the European Air Chiefs Conference (EURAC) was established with the main objective finding new methods of study and co-operation among European Air Forces – within and out of NATO. In this context a considerable importance has been given for a common vision in the ways of education and formation of future officers

Consequently the European Air Force Academies (EUAFA) Commanders’ Conference has been established as a forum of experts in order to exchange information, co-operate and identify areas of common interest to carry out activities, with the largest possible participation of all the member nations, in the field of officer education and training.

EUAFA mission is to encourage mutual education through the sharing of information on officer training by promoting academic and military exchanges concerning cadet and instructor training.

The (EUAFA) Commandants’ Conference comprises of the Commandants of the Air Force Academies of the following European countries:

AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, CZECH REPUBLIK, DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, HUNGARY, IRELAND, ITALY, NETHERLANDS, NORWAY, POLAND, PORTUGAL, ROMANIA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, TURKEY, UNITED KINGDOM.

The members of the conference annually elect a Chairman, who is responsible for the preparation of the meetings and who acts as Point of Contact (POC) for all members.

The Chairman, who is appointed for one year for the period between two Commandants’ Conferences, is the Commandant (or his representative) of the Academy that is designated to host the conference at the end of his term.

Experts’ Working Group

In order to find common elements within the syllabi of the EUAFAs a Working Group was established in 1998. The ultimate goal was to identify portions of the individual training and education programs that might be suitable for common training and/or mutual exchanges

The EUAFA Working Group is responsible for the following tasks: view the member nations syllabi and focus on common fields within which to provide a basis for future co-operation in training and cadet exchanges; gather, update and disseminate the Databank (available at the website, and updated by the appropriate Working Group member) containing:

  • An overview of educational systems.
  • The structure organisational diagram of each participating country.
  • The educational syllabus of each academy.
  • The pilot education, training and timeframes in each academy.

In order to achieve a better understanding regarding main areas of training in each country’s officer training syllabus and from which common areas of interest could be found:

  • Discuss and prepare agenda items for the following EUAFA Commandants’ Conference
  • Present the findings of the Working Group Meeting including proposals for future activities to the following EUAFA Commandants’ Conference
 
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