France, Sept. 2 -- The Finnish Air Force has used the swastika as its emblem since 1918, but has now announced it will remove it from its flags.

A swastika on the flag of the military of a NATOcountry might be a surprising sight - but it has been the official emblem of theFinnish Air Force for more than a century.

Until now. The air force has just announced that it will permanently remove swastikas from its flags, having already removed them from its uniforms and insignia.

"We could have continued with the swastika, but it was sometimes awkward with foreign visitors. It is surely wiser to move with the times," the new head of the Finnish Air Force, Tomi Bohm, told Finnish public broadcaster YLE. Raised eyebrows

The use of the symbol d...