Current Title:	Rajavartiolaitos/Gränsbevakningen
Title in English:	Finnish Border Guard Aviation
Abbreviation:	RVL

Narrative Summary:
The Border Guard operates in a dual border guard/coast guard role. Responsibilities include maritime pollution detection, transport, Search and Rescue and surveillance.

Key Dates:
19 March 1921		Border Guard first formed.

Current Status:
Responsibilities include maritime pollution detection, transport, Search and Rescue and surveillance.

Future Plans:
No procurement plans known.

National Insignia:
None carried. The service insignia is the head of a bear in gold. Fixed wing aircraft carry the service title FRONTIER GUARD in English. Helicopters carry the service title in Finnish as RAJAVARTIOLAITOS on the port side and in Swedish as GRÄNSBEVAKNINGEN on the starboard side.

Aircraft Serial Numbering System(s):
All Border Guard aircraft and helicopters carry civil aircraft registrations.

Unit/Base Aircraft Code System(s):
Coding system not used

Aircraft Designation System(s):
None - Manufacturers designations used

Current Aircraft Inventory:

Aircraft Type	Total Del'd	Total Now	Role	Origin
Aerospatiale AS.332L-1 Super Puma	3	3	Transport/SAR/Patrol	France
Agusta AB.412EP	3	3	Transport/SAR/Patrol	Italy
Agusta AB.206B JetRanger	3	3	Transport/SAR/Patrol	Italy
Agusta AB.206A JetRanger	1	1	Transport/SAR/Patrol	Italy
AgustaWestland AW119Ke Koala	3*	-	Transport/SAR/Patrol	Italy
Dornier Do 228-212	2	2	Patrol/Pollution Detection	Germany

* on order.

All-Time Aircraft Used List:

Aircraft Type	Quantity	Service Entry	Retirement	Origin
Aerospatiale AS.332L-1 Super Puma	3	1987?	current	France
Agusta AB.206 JetRanger	6	1968	current	Italy
Agusta AB.412	4	1985	current	Italy
AgustaWestland AW119Ke Koala	3*	2010	-	Italy
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver	3	1951	1985	Canada
Dornier Do 228-212	2	1995	current	Germany
Junkers F.13fe	2	1931	1939	Germany
Junkers K.43f	3	1940	1950	Germany
Junkers W.34B	1	1940	1941	Germany
Koolhoven FK.49	1	1940	1943	Netherlands
Mil Mi-1 Hare	1	1961	1968	USSR
Mil Mi-8 Hip	3	1983	1989	USSR
Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain	2	1976	1993	USA
SAAB 91D Safir	3	1982	1985	Sweden
Sud Aviation SE3130 Alouette II	1	1966	1976	France
V.L. Saaski II	1	1930	1933	local
WSK SM-1S-600	2	1960	1967	Poland

* on order.

Aircraft NOT Used:
No false reports known.

Main Headquarters:
Not known.

Current Organisational Structure:
The Border Guard Air Patrol Squadron is located at two air bases.

Current Order of Battle:

Unit	Type	Base
Air Patrol Squadron
-	Do 228, AS332	Turku
-	AB412	Rovaniemi

Historical Orders of Battle:
To be added.

All-Time Flying Units List:
To be added.

Current Air Bases:
The main bases are Turku and Rovaniemi.

All-Time Air Bases Used List:
To be added.

Books:

None known.

Magazines:

Combat Aircraft Aug-Sept 1997

Websites:

Official Border Guard webpage

wikipedia: Finnish Border Guard

Airliners.net