Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday revealed that Finland had decided to purchase from the U.S. 64 fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets for its air force.
“Geographically, Finland is a big country. We need a fleet of aircraft that guarantees security in our airspace.
“We are going to upgrade old U.S. fighters that we had, and this decision was made before the recent escalation with Russia,” Marin said in an interview with Spanish newspaper, El Pais.
Asked whether Helsinki feels threatened by Russia, the prime minister said, “It is important for Finland to have the means to protect itself.”
In December 2021, the Finnish Government concluded the largest defence contract in its history with U.S. Company, Lockheed Martin, for delivery of 64 F-35 fighters adapted to the needs and weapons of Finland.
The Finnish Defence Ministry intends to allocate 10 billion euros (11.2 billion dollars) for the contract.
The fighters are expected to be delivered from 2025 to 2030.