Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON
Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands and Norway are soon expected to gain a limited role in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme, says US Navy Rear Adm Craig Steidle, JSF programme director.
Steidle hopes to draw greater international interest in the US/ UK JSF collaboration, and he has established four levels of foreign participation - up to and including full partnership.
He says that the four countries will be signing memoranda of agreement in the near future, allowing them to join the project.
The countries, however, will not gain equal status to that of the USA and the UK. As "informed customers" they will have access to JSF data so as to decide whether the aircraft can satisfy their requirements. They will participate in the JSF at no cost, but they will not be able to influence JSF requirements. Steidle says that their involvement will include "some trade studies, analysis and requirements verification".
Sir John Kerr, UK ambassador to the USA, is "-confident that an equitable and significant share of JSF work will go to UK industry". He believes there is real determination "-to make this US/UK collaboration a significant success".
British Aerospace, which was part of the unsuccessful McDonnell Douglas bid for JSF, is expected to re-enter the JSF competition in the future. US defence officials encourage BAe's continued involvement. Both Lockheed Martin and Boeing are amenable to teaming with BAe.
An official says that BAe's interest in JSF is far from over. "We have just paused for breath and to take stock in viewing other alternatives," he says.
Although no firm offers have been made, both Lockheed Martin and Boeing are believed to be interested in adding BAe's expertise in short take-off and vertical landing to their engineering teams.
Source: Flight International
