Finland to buy US glide bombs for F-35s, ministry says

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18/06/2026 07:37

HELSINKI, June 18 (Reuters) - Finland will buy GBU-53 SDB II glide bombs from the United States for its F-35 fighter jets, the Nordic country's defence ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The purchase adds a new air-to-ground capability to NATO-member Finland's F-35 fleet and supplements its $9.4 billion acquisition of 64 F-35 jets from Lockheed Martin.
The GBU-53 SDB II is a precision-guided glide bomb capable of striking moving targets at medium range in adverse weather conditions, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Its small size allows multiple SDB II munitions to be carried simultaneously on a single F-35.
The bombs will be manufactured by Raytheon, a unit of U.S. defence contractor RTX RTX.N.
The package covers spare parts, documentation, transport, training, repair and support services.
Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said the purchase represents a new capability that strengthens Finland's defences "in demanding conditions."

 (Reporting by Essi Lehto, editing by Terje Solsvik)
 ((essi.lehto@thomsonreuters.com; +358 50 541 2375))