The US State Department announced that it has approved the possible sale of air-to-air missiles worth over $1 billion to Finland, DPA reported, BTA reported.
In a statement, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said that “the proposed sale will support US foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of a NATO ally“.
The agency also indicated that this “will improve Finland's ability to deal with current and future threats and enhance interoperability with US and other allied forces“. The agency's statement stressed that the sale "will not change the fundamental military balance in the region."
The proposed sale concerns advanced AIM-120D-3 medium-range air-to-air missiles and related equipment worth about $1.07 billion.
As is customary with foreign arms sales, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Congress had been informed.