The Finnish Defence Forces are preparing to spend more than a billion euros in the upgrading of its fleet of F-18 Hornet jet fighters.
The US-built planes are at about the halfway point of their effective lifespans. The upgrade is set to extend their usefulness so that new fighters would not be needed before 2025. Nevertheless, the Finnish Air Forces is looking at other possible jet fighters on the market.
The most recent achievement of advanced military aviation is the American F-35 fighter, which Norway’s air force is planning to acquire.
Finland is also looking at the F-35, although the super-modern jet is also super expensive.
Precision Weapons for Hornet
The Air Force says that it is now concentrating on the upgrading of the Hornet.
The planes, which are primarily attended to give the Finns the capability to repulse an attack, are being modified to function as assault planes, capable of hitting land targets from a long distance.
Army Also Upgrading Equipment
The Finnish Army is also planning to upgrade much of its materiel. East German equipment, [as well as] Leopard tanks which were acquired in the 1990s, is becoming obsolete.
A key requirement in new acquisitions is compatibility with NATO systems, even though Finland has no immediate plans to join the alliance.
