Finland’s defense ministry said last week it was acquiring more Lockheed Martin AGM158B Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile – Extended Range.
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By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
One of NATO’s newest members is buying more cruise missiles for its soon-to-be delivered F-35 fighter jets.
FInland’s defense ministry said last week it was acquiring more Lockheed Martin AGM158B Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-Off Missile – Extended Range. Finnish forces had previously equipped their F/A-18C/D warplanes with the baseline model of the missile.
The range of the latest version of the missile is roughly 1,000 km – more than three times as far as the older one. Deliveries of the new weapon won’t start until next year, when Finland will receive the first of its F-35s.
In 2021, Finland agreed to buy 64 F-35s from Lockheed Martin to replace its F/A18s in a deal valued at $9.4 billion. At the time, Lockheed said the F-35 deal would provide Finnish industries “unique digital capabilities that leverage fifth-generation engineering and manufacturing.”
Finland became NATO’s 31st member a little more than a year ago. It asked to join the alliance in 2022, three months after Russia invaded Ukraine.