Norway is seeking to purchase six additional Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for its air force in the country’s fiscal year 2014 defence budget request.
“In the budget proposal for 2014, the Parliament is asked to approve the procurement of another six aircraft for planned delivery in 2018, in addition to the 10 aircraft already approved for procurement,” the Norwegian defence ministry says. “The procurement of the F-35 fighter aircraft will provide the armed forces with an historic increase in capability.”
Though the budget is being proposed by an outgoing government, Oslo’s F-35 purchase in not likely to be affected. A new Norwegian government that is scheduled to take office later in the week is expected to maintain the country’s plans to purchase a total of 52 conventional take-off and landing F-35As.
The current budget proposal keeps defence procurements “at a high level”, calling for an outlay of over NKr8.8 billion ($1.46 billion), the majority of which would be spent on the F-35 programme.
Lockheed officials could not comment by press time.
Source: Flight International
