General Jarmo Lindberg

Jarmo Lindberg is a retired Finnish general and former Chief of Defence from 2014 to 2019. Lindberg began his career as a fighter pilot, and was eventually promoted to Commander of the Finnish Air Force and then Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics and Armaments in the Defence Command.

Lindberg graduated from the Kuusaa gymnasium in Kouvola in 1978 and completed his mandatory military service in Training Air Wing, Finnish Air Force in Kauhava, and was active as a hobby pilot.

In 1979, Lindberg enrolled in the flight cadet course and graduated in 1982. He flew as an officer pilot, instructor and demo pilot in Karelia Air Command in 1982–87, flying Soviet MiG–21BIS 1988 fighter planes, and was promoted to flight commander in 1989. In 1993–94, Lindberg was the Chief of Pilot Training in the Finnish Air Force headquarters in Tikkakoski, Jyväskylä. In 1995, American McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets were purchased to become the frontline fighter jets for the Finnish Air Force, replacing Saab Drakens and MiGs. Lindberg attended a seven-month US Navy F/A–18 Hornet training course in Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, and participated in the acquisition, introduction and maintenance of the Hornets. In 1995–1999 Lindberg was the Commander of Fighter Squadron 21 in Satakunta Air Command. In 1999 Lindberg was promoted to the Air Force Command, working as a Deputy Chief of Staff Air Force Operations and Chief of Plans and Ops. After working as Assistant Chief of Finnish Defence Staff (Ops Division) in the Defence Command in Helsinki, he again served as a Commander in Lapland Air Command, Rovaniemi in 2005.

In 2005, he received promotion to Brigadier General, and worked as the Deputy Chief of Operations in 2005–2008. In 2008–2012 he was the Commander of the Finnish Air Force, strongly promoting international cooperation. In 2012–2014, he returned to the Defence Command as Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics and Armaments. In 2014 Lindberg was appointed as the Chief of Defence, the commander of the Finnish Defence Forces.