Biden administration notifies Congress it has approved $323 million arms sale to Finland

Ellen Mitchell
·2 min read
2

The Biden administration on Monday notified Congress it has approved a possible $323 million arms sale to Finland as the country seeks to join NATO.

The administration approved the potential sale of 40 tactical missiles and 48 Joint Standoff Weapons, made by Raytheon, in addition to accompanying equipment, training and support, the State Department said in a release.

Finland, which shares a border with Russia, is in the process of joining NATO along with Sweden. Both countries sought to enter the alliance earlier this year.

This State Department said the proposed sale “will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a trusted partner, which is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.”

The notice added that it “is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist Finland in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability.”

Finland intends to use the weapons for its fighter aircraft fleet and improve its air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons capabilities, according to the release.

The administration has approved several high-value weapons sales to European countries this year as it looks to bolster NATO’s defense capabilities along the alliance’s eastern flank and aid its partner counties in the face of Russian aggression.

In February, directly before the Kremlin’s attack on Ukraine began, the United States gave preliminary approval for a sale of $6 billion worth of battle tanks and other equipment to Poland.

Then in July, the State Department approved a package of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers for Estonia worth an estimated $500 million.

And earlier this month, Norway signed a record $500 million arms sale with the United States for missiles intended to be mounted on F-35 fighter jets.

A few days later, the State Department approved about $700 million in potential foreign military sales to Switzerland, Lithuania and Belgium.

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