BREAKING NEWS

Lockheed F-35 jet wins Finnish fighter competition

Lockheed Martin competed for the deal with Sweden's Saab, US rival Boeing, France's Dassault and Britain's BAE Systems.

Finland has chosen US defense giant Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighters in a tender to replace aging F/A-18 combat jets, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

Lockheed Martin competed for the deal with Sweden's Saab, US rival Boeing, France's Dassault and Britain's BAE Systems.

A formation of US Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jets perform aerial maneuvers during as part of a combat power exercise over Utah Test and Training Range, Utah, US, November 19, 2018. (credit: US AIR FORCE/STAFF SGT. CORY D. PAYNE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
A formation of US Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jets perform aerial maneuvers during as part of a combat power exercise over Utah Test and Training Range, Utah, US, November 19, 2018. (credit: US AIR FORCE/STAFF SGT. CORY D. PAYNE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

The Finnish government said earlier it would announce its choice at a news conference later on Friday.

The government has approved a budget of 10 billion euros for the acquisition out of which 9.4 billion euros would be used to buy the warplanes themselves.