(Bloomberg) -- Finland selected Lockheed Martin Corp. to supply a fleet of fighter jets in its $11 billion procurement, replacing aging warplanes that now defend its territory.

Lockheed will provide 64 F-35A aircraft and an extensive weapons package, Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said at a press conference on Friday. The Nordic nation had also considered offers from Boeing Co., Dassault Aviation SA, the Eurofighter consortium and Saab AB.

The new fighters with air-to-surface and air-to-sea capabilities will be used to secure a 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border with Russia. While the Nordic nation can muster 180,000 troops for wartime service through national conscription, its landmass is too large to defend without warplanes. 

The value of the Finnish contract was set at about 9 billion euros ($10 billion) during the tendering process, with an additional 1 billion euros to be used to build related local systems and capabilities.

Having stayed out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union member works closely with the defense bloc and uses compatible gear. It’s also keen to keep the U.S. invested in its security.

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