Finland begins study on new fighter aircraft

Finland's replacement for its Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fleet is expected to cost the country about EUR6 billion.
Finland's Ministry of Defence launched an exploratory working group in early October to examine maintenance and performance capabilities of potential candidates. Options for modernising the current fleet, acquired in 1995, to enable operations beyond 2030 are also to be examined.
If the country opts to procure a new platform, decommissioning the current Hornet fleet is expected to begin in 2025, with the last aircraft leaving active duty in 2030.
The working group's report is to be completed by mid-2015.
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