Finland�s air force is phasing out swastikas from its unit flags, a symbol in use since 1918 that predates Nazi Germany but has become an international embarrassment since Finland joined NATO last year. The emblem, originally taken from a Swedish count�s personal mark, has long been defended as unrelated to Hitler�s regime, but officials say replacing it with eagle imagery better reflects the air force�s modern identity and avoids awkward moments with allies such as Germany, where the swastika�is�taboo.