The Netherlands to buy more F-35s.

The Dutch government announced plans to purchase nine more of Lockheed Martin's F-35 jets, a move that would bring the country's inventory to 46.

F-35 Lightning II (Picture source: Lockheed Martin)

The F-35 replaces the F-16 with which the Air Force has been flying since 1979. By adding 9 aircraft to the current fleet, the Defense organization is better able to perform constitutional tasks. In addition, with the purchase, the foundation is laid for a 3rd F-35 squadron.

The additional aircraft are expected contribute to the air force's objective of having four jets available for NATO missions while also performing homeland defense operations and accounting for training requirements and maintenance downtime.

The costs are estimated at around € 1 billion.