WASHINGTON – The US State Department has approved a sale of 34 F-35 JointStrike Fighter Conventional Take-off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft toBelgium, the Pentagon said.
According to a statement on Friday, published by the Defense SecurityCooperation Agency under the US Department of Defense, the agency notifiedCongress of the sale for an estimated $6.53 billion, Xinhua news agencyreported.
The sale would also include 38 Pratt & Whitney F-135 engines — 34installed ones and four spares — as well as other equipment for theradar-evading high-tech fighter.
The sale will “improve the security of an ally and partner nation which hasbeen, and continues to be, an important force for political and economicstability in Western Europe,” the statement read.
The sale of F-35s is expected to provide Belgium with “a credible defencecapability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperabilitywith US forces,” said the agency.
The governments of Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and others are alsopotential customers of the jet.