The Finnish Air Force has reportedly ditched the swastika from its logo without any prior announcement after it featured as a symbol for over a century.
The Finnish Air Force (FAF) has used the symbol since it was founded in 1918 when Swedish count Eric von Rosen donated an aircraft to Finland with a blue swastika, an ancient symbol of the sun and good luck, painted on the side.
The FAF’s updated logo, now displayed on its official Twitter page, features a golden eagle that has been in use in the air force since 1945.
The swastika was removed quietly from FAF’s logo and the ID of general staff, without any official announcement from top brass, according to local media.
Teivo Teivainen, professor of World Politics at the University of Helsinki, suggested that the symbol was replaced because of its common association with Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.
Teivainen said that continued use of the symbol would prove to be “politically difficult” when FAF personnel are based overseas.
He also suggested that the symbol could be used in ‘information warfare’ against the Finnish military as well as possibly leading to the alienation of younger citizens.
Air Force Chief of Staff Jari Mikkonen told local media that the symbol often attracted negative and sometimes “angry” attention overseas.
However, he added that it was “not related to Nazi Germany”.
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Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Central European News
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