The good business passes under the nose of Dassault, and under that of other aircraft manufacturers. The Finnish government announced, Friday, December 10, that it has retained the F-35 fighter plane of the American Lockheed Martin to renew its fleet, in a contract of some 8.4 billion euros for 64 aircraft. This is the largest arms deal in Finnish history.
The new aircraft, which are to fly until 2060, will replace some sixty old versions of the American Boeing’s F / A-18 delivered at the end of the 1990s. “The F-35 met the requirements in terms of preparation, industrial cooperation and cost”Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said at a press conference. “Comparing military capabilities, the overall system of the F-35 was the best to meet our needs. Its combat, intelligence and resilience capabilities were the best ”, he continued.
In addition to the F-35, four other planes were in the running: the F / A-18 of the American Boeing, the Rafale of Dassault, the Gripen of the Swedish Saab and the Eurofighter of the European consortium of the same name. Fifth-generation stealth plane, the F-35 is equipped with the engines of the American Pratt and Whitney. Already chosen by several European countries, it has notably been used in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State group.
Finland, which shares a border of over 1,300 kilometers with Russia, is not a member of NATO, but a partner state of the Atlantic Alliance. Half of the new aircraft will be based in Lapland (North) – and the other in Karelia (East).
The Finnish government forecasts maintenance and upgrade costs estimated at an additional 10 billion until 2060, an amount undervalued according to several analysts who expect a sum of around 250 million euros per year for 64 hunters.