US Air Force armourers handle a JASSM-ER missile of the type that Finland is to acquire for its F-35As. (US DoD)
Finland is to acquire additional Lockheed Martin AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER) systems, Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen announced on 31 May.
Having previously procured the baseline AGM-158A JASSM-version of the stealthy next-generation stand-off weapon for the Finnish Air Force's fleet of Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet combat aircraft, this follow-on order of the JASSM-ER will cover the soon-to-be-delivered Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
“The procurement that will be carried out by the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command supplements the F-35 multirole fighter system's capability with the precision-guided munition of a longer than previous range,” Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command said, following the announcement.
News of the JASSM-ER acquisition came four years after the US government approved the sale to Finland in 2020, as part of a wider package geared at supporting the F-35A's bid into the Finnish Air Force's HX fighter replacement competition. The range of the JASSM is listed as an estimated 370 km, while the JASSM-ER increases this to nearly 1,000 km through the addition of a new turbofan engine and additional fuel.
Deliveries of the JASSM-ER will run concurrent to those of the F-35A, the first of 64 of which is due to be handed over in 2025.
For more information on the Finnish F-35A programme, please see Finland signs for F-35s .
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