Denmark’s protection Ministry recommended the acquisition of 27 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp., at a fee of approximately 20 billion kroner ($3 billion), to update the fleet of antique F-16s, also manufactured via the U.S. protection giant. but, the Nordic u . s . a .’s parliament nevertheless desires to approve the recommendation earlier than it’s far final.
speakme at a press convention Thursday, prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen — who heads a minority authorities — and protection Minister Peter Christensen made the assertion. Rasmussen said the new F-35s could allow Denmark to “monitor our airspace and repel violations at domestic and we can paintings to forestall wars and conflicts overseas spreading and affecting us.”
Highlighting Russia, the middle East and North Africa as areas of challenge, Rasmussen stated that a time whilst the “world safety map has changed, generating new threats toward Europe and Denmark,” the u . s . needed to improve its fleet so it can “appearance out for our u . s . a . and our values and we want to do it at domestic and abroad.”
the whole cost of purchasing and preserving the planes was predicted to be approximately fifty six billion kroner, Christensen stated. Deliveries will start in 2021 and the fleet is predicted to be completely operational by way of 2027.
but, the deal might be disapproved by means of the parliament, where the opposition has been calling for lower spending, even on modernizing the united states’s air pressure.
In a poll published Thursday by way of neighborhood online newspaper Altinget, 59 percentage of Danes polled were in opposition to the acquisition of the brand new fighter aircraft.
Lockheed Martin gained a $1.27 billion settlement from the U.S. department of protection in advance this month. Its stock closed 1.29 percentage higher on the ny stock trade on Thursday.
