Tue, Jan 23, 2007
US Entrant Still One Of Three Possibles For Fighter
Contract
Norwegian Defense
Minister Anne-Grete Strom-Erichsen has decided to sign the
production phase agreement for the Joint Strike Fighter Program.
Officials also report progress in negotiations over development
agreements with the two other candidates in the combat aircraft
acquisition project, JAS Gripen and Eurofighter.
ANN has learned Norway withheld a signature on the production
agreement Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) up to now "...in
order to achieve more tangible (industrial participation)
agreements for Norwegian industry in the JSF program."
Norwegian government officials say they've achieved concessions
substantial enough regarding the agreement to continue
participation in the multinational JSF collaboration. The agreement
allows Norway to continue its participation in the JSF program
while maintaining competition between the three contenders for the
country's next combat aircraft acquisition.
"We now believe that the industrial cooperation plans have
become significantly more concrete, and based on an overall
evaluation have therefore decided to move into the production
phase. We have always been very explicit with regards to
emphasizing the importance of industrial cooperation. I am also
pleased that we have achieved our goal of maintaining competition
between the three contenders and expect to have agreements on
development cooperation with all three candidates before long,"
says Strom-Erichsen.
Last December the Norwegian government decided to continue with
three candidates in its combat aircraft acquisition, and authorized
the Minister of Defense to sign the JSF production agreement if an
understanding regarding the level of the country's "industrial
participation" was reached.
At the same time, Norway's government tells ANN it also decided
to negotiate agreements on development cooperation with JAS Gripen
and Eurofighter. Norway government officials say negotiations
with JAS Gripen and Eurofighter, which commenced early January
2007, are well on track.
Norway hasn't set a date to sign the JSF production phase
agreement, only saying it will do so "shortly."
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