Austria plans to buy 12 Italian-made M-346 FA fighter jets to replace Saab 105 planes which it decommissioned at the end of 2020, the government said on Saturday.
Citing military sources, newspaper Krone said a letter of intent was due to be signed on Saturday with the Italian Defence Ministry for the planes made by Italy’s Leonardo.
The contract is currently being negotiated with the Italian government, the Austrian Defence Ministry said, confirming the planned purchase of the aircraft.
Japan Airlines said on Thursday its systems were back to normal, following a cyberattack in the morning that delayed some domestic and international flights.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the deal showed the strength of cooperation between Italy and Austria.
“My special thanks go to (Italian) Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who made a significant contribution to the conclusion of this agreement,” Nehammer said in a statement.
The total cost of the purchase has yet to be determined, but about 1 billion euros ($1.04 billion) has been budgeted for it, the newspaper said.
The jets will be used for pilot training, support for ground forces and air defence, the government said.
© 2024, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.