JAKARTA - Finland has selected the F-35 fighter jet, made by US defense giant Lockheed Martin, to replace the aging F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet with an order of about 64 units in a deal worth US$9.4 billion or around Rp. 134,655,000. ,000,000 said the government.
Procurement from Lockheed, including weapons and service and maintenance through 2030, is estimated to cost 8.378 billion euros ($9.4 billion).
The construction of hangars and other equipment will add 777 million euros (Rp 12,548,086,814,760), and 824 million euros Rp 13,307,108,797,120 will be reserved for an optimized final weapons package and to control future contract amendments, he added.
"When comparing military performance, the F-35 best suits our needs," Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen told a news conference, citing Reuters December 10.
Lockheed Martin won the tender after competing with other manufacturers such as Sweden's Saab, Boeing, France's Dassault and Britain's BAE Systems. Previously, a number of military aircraft manufacturers had competed since late 2015.
At that time, the Finnish Ministry of Defense began looking for a new jet to replace the old Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighter it bought in 1992 from McDonnell Douglas, now part of Boeing.
With this choice, Finland became the 14th country to choose the F-35. Deliveries will be made in stages from 2027 onwards, said Air Force Commander Pasi Jokinen.
The choice strengthens the small Nordic nation's defense cooperation with its allies, notably the United States and Norway, said researcher Charly Salonius-Pasternak at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
"Finland and Norway are already training together in the north so it will be a political decision to determine what intelligence is shared and when," he told Reuters, referring to the jet's potential to share data in real time.
Unlike Norway, Finland is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but has forged stronger ties with the organization in recent years and opted for military equipment compatible with NATO members.
In 2014 Finland and Sweden, which are also non-NATO members, signed an agreement to train together and allow NATO assistance in crisis situations.
"The F-35 will provide Finnish industry with unique digital capabilities that leverage 5th generation engineering and manufacturing," said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the F-35 program.
"Production work will continue for more than 20 years, and F-35 maintenance work will continue into the 2070s," Lauderdale said in a statement.
Separately, this decision has disappointed competing aircraft manufacturers, as Saab Chief Executive Micael Johansson said he was somewhat surprised the F-35 had fallen within budget.
Sweden, Finland's neighbor and home to Gripen maker Saab, said it regretted the result while also respecting the decision.
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"Our excellent defense cooperation will of course continue. Finland will continue to be our closest security and defense policy partner," the Swedish Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Meanwhile, France's Dassault said the choice of the US aircraft was regrettable.
"Once again, we recognize and regret the prevailing American preference in Europe," Dassault said in a statement.
Boeing said it still sees significant international interest in the F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fighter aircraft.
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