Finland signs for F-35s

Finland has signed the first series of agreements related to the procurement of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) that was selected to fulfil its HX fighter replacement requirement in late 2021.

The Finnish Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 11 February that the government had signed the first Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) documents, which under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) structure constitute the procurement agreement.

“On 11 February Major General Kari Renko, Chief of the Defence Forces Logistics Command, signed in Tampere the LOA documents on F-35A aircraft and their maintenance services,” the MoD said, adding that the LOAs signed covered 64 Block 4 standard F-35As to be delivered from 2025 to 2030, as well as maintenance equipment and training. At the same time, Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney related to industrial participation.