OSLO, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Denmark on Friday announced it will purchase 16 additional F-35 fighter jets for 29 billion Danish kroner (4.5 billion U.S. dollars), taking its future fleet to 43 aircraft, and will invest a further 27.4 billion Danish kroner to strengthen defense capabilities in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the F-35 decision also covers extra spares, weapons, simulators and training equipment.
Separately, under a "second partial agreement" on the Arctic and North Atlantic, Denmark -- in close coordination with the Greenlandic and the Faroese autonomous government -- will fund a new Arctic Command headquarters in Nuuk and a North Atlantic submarine cable linking Greenland and Denmark.
The package also includes two additional Arctic patrol ships, maritime patrol aircraft, more drones, access to icebreaker capacity, and a new air-warning radar in East Greenland.
"The Armed Forces' task is to ensure security across the Kingdom -- and, if necessary, to defend Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark within NATO in all domains," Chief of Defense Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard said.
The government said it will present a plan in the near future for additional defense and security funding. (1 Danish krone = 0.16 U.S. dollar) ■
