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11 Feb, 2022 15:47
Finland makes massive military investment with US
Helsinki signs a deal for 64 US-built F-35 stealth jets, at a reported cost of $9.4 billion
Two Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning (FILE PHOTO) © Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
Finland has penned a multibillion-dollar deal with the US to purchase 64 American-built F-35 fighter jets, the Finnish Defense Forces announced on Friday. The radar-evading warplanes will reportedly cost the European country, which is traditionally militarily non-aligned, some $9.4 billion.
The aircraft will not enter service for some years, with Finnish officials previously saying deployment of the planes would begin in 2027. The new jets are being brought in to replace Finland’s current Hornet fleet.
In addition to the 64 planes, the deal sees American defense contractor Lockheed Martin providing maintenance equipment, spare parts, and training services, the Finnish Defence Forces said in a statement.
“The aim is to ensure that Finland’s F-35 system has the best possible performance going into the 2030s,” the statement added.
Mikko Hautala, Finland’s ambassador to the US, said the purchase was not linked to the current tensions between neighboring Russia and the West.
“It is part of our long-term planning and has nothing to do with the current situation as such,” Hautala stated.
In selecting the F-35, Finland rejected alternative options from other planemakers including Dassault Rafale of France and Eurofighter Typhoon in the UK.
The country remained strategically neutral during the Cold War but has strengthened ties with the West in recent years. In January, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said the government had no plans to join NATO, but would retain the right to join if it so wishes.
Finland was forced to cede territory, including parts of Karelia, Salla, and Kuusamo, to the Soviet Union in the so-called Winter War of 1939-40. Lands and cities such as Vyborg, historically claimed by Finland, now sit in Russia.
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