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."

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com, www.state.gov, www.odin.dep.no/fd/english/bn.html