US approves $1B sale of air-to-air missiles to Finland

The US on Wednesday announced the approval of the $1.07 billion sale of advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to Finland.

“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Finland of AIM-120D-3 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.07 billion,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.

According to the press release, Finland requested to buy “up to four hundred five (405) AIM-120D-3 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); and eight (8) AIM-120D-3 guidance sections, with precise positioning provided by either the Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module or M-Code.”

The DSCA said the proposed sale “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.”

In addition, the DSCA noted that Finland’s current inventory of AMRAAMs indicates it will have no difficulty integrating the newly acquired equipment into its armed forces and that they will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The US State Department approved the possible sale of the missiles to Finland and the DSCA provided the required notification to the US Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.