The United States announced Monday that it had agreed to sell Finland 88 precision-guided missiles and bombs for a total of $323 million, in a deal coinciding with the Scandinavian country's readiness to join NATO.
The US State Department said in a statement that the Finnish government wants to buy 40 tactical missiles and 48 guided bombs to equip its fighters with them, and that the US government had previously agreed to sell this sensitive equipment to Helsinki.
The M9X Block Two, known as the Sidewinder, is a short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missile produced by Raytheon.
As for the "AGM-154 Jesu" (joint confrontation weapon), which is manufactured by the American company Raytheon itself, it is a winged, precision-guided, medium-range bomb, which provides the fighter that launches it at a safe distance.
"This proposed transaction will enhance the foreign policy and national security of the United States by enhancing the security of a trusted partner that plays an important role in political stability and economic progress in the world," the ministry said in a statement.
In the event that Congress does not object to this deal, Helsinki's acquisition of this ammunition would improve its capabilities in the field of air defense, according to the statement, which confirmed that Finland would not find it difficult to integrate this ammunition into its armed forces.
Increase US arms sales
The chief arms buyer in the US Army, Doug Bush, told reporters at the Pentagon last week that Russia's war on Ukraine had led to an increase in the demand for US weapons and ammunition.
In the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden in May submitted a joint application to join NATO, abandoning decades of military non-alignment.
In order for Finland and Sweden to become members of the Atlantic, all 30 member states of the alliance must ratify their request, something that all member states have done so far except for Turkey and Hungary.