Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen on Wednesday said that the Nordic countries would build air forces that are capable operating together both in peacetime and under emergency conditions. The Minister made the remarks while hosting a meeting of Nordic defence ministers in Helsinki, said the Ministry of Defence in a press release. “We have made good progress towards this goal. Together, the Nordic countries will have more than 200 new-generation fighters by the start of the next decade,” he said. Meanwhile, there is still work to be done to make combined and integrated operations across borders possible in all situations, said the Minister. “We will further deepen our cooperation so that we can achieve a combined capability to plan and conduct air operations across the Nordic countries. This is important for strengthening NATOs deterrence and defence in the High North,” Häkkänen added. “As regards military mobility, we will continue our excellent and efficient cooperation to develop military mobility in the Nordic region. In the current security landscape, it is a matter of great importance to improve military mobility between the Nordic countries,” said the Minister. The Nordic countries have deepened their cooperation since November last year when they signed a letter of intent on harmonised military mobility corridors in the Nordic region. “We are off to a good start and will continue our efforts as a matter of urgency,” Häkkänen said. Regarding defence materiel cooperation, the Nordic defence ministers decided to continue to strengthen the Nordic industrial capacity in ammunition production. For the first time, the Chiefs of Defence from all the Nordic countries attended the meeting, which will support strategic and military planning in the High North, the press release added.