The cost of replacing F16 fighter jets with the US-developed joint strike fighter JSF has gone up 20%, defence minister Hans Hillen said on Thursday.

The Netherlands has budgeted €6.2bn to buy 85 aircraft but the true cost will now be €7.6bn, the minister said in a note to MPs.
The JSF is supposed to replace the air force’s ageing fleet of F-16s but the Netherlands has not yet formally decided whether or not to buy them.
One test plane has been ordered and the new government is committed to buying a second test aircraft.
Hillen said the price increase is due to development and production delays in the US, as well as higher wage costs, raw material prices and other equipment.
MPs opposed
In addition, the defence ministry will need an extra €10bn for service and maintenance over the next 30 years, Hillen said.
Last month, the Telegraaf reported that a majority of MPs want the Netherlands to cut its provisional JSF order.
The need to make government spending cuts and the rising cost of the aircraft are forcing a rethink, the paper says.