PAUL LEWIS / HARTFORD & TOM GILL / LONDON
JPO issues mid-July deadline to commit to programme
The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme office (JPO) expects to sign up Italy, Norway and Turkey by the end of month to participate in development of the Lockheed Martin F-35, following the Netherlands signature on 4 June. Australia and other potential participants have been given until mid-July to commit, after which the door will close.
The Netherlands will pay $800 million to participate in the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase, making it the second largest international participant after the UK and the largest Level 2 supplier.
Jan Muller, chairman of the Netherlands Aerospace Group, says Dutch industry has been promised a $250 million share of SDD and as much as $10 billion over the life of the programme.
Jon Schreiber, JPO international director, says Italy will sign on 12 June as a Level 2 partner contributing $1 billion. Norway is due to follow around 19 June and Turkey at the end of the month, both at Level 3, contributing $125 million and $175 million respectively.
"We've done a survey of companies in Italy and signed LoIs [letters of intent] with 19 companies allowing them to compete," says Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin JSF general manager. The company has 12 LoIs with Danish companies and an overarching LoI with Norway, and has opened talks with Australian industry.
Principal engine contractor Pratt & Whitney has recruited a team including Fokker Elmo, Urenco and the Netherlands Centre for Laser Research, plus Denmark's IFAD, Italy's Mircotechnica, and Norway's Volvo Aero Norg. JSF second-tier suppliers are also seeking partners, with TRW, for instance, talking to Italy's Galileo.
The latest signatures increase the international share of SDD to $4.4 billion, with the sole Level 1 partner, the UK, contributing almost half. Time is running out for other prospective participants.
"If they've not declared a formal intent to join by 15 July then the only opportunity left open will be as security co-operation partner," says Schreiber.
Discussions have also been held with Israel and Singapore, while Greece has asked to be briefed, but if any join it will likely be as security co-operation partners, the entry fee for which has been lowered to $25-50 million. Countries in return will be offered technical data, modelling and simulation, an input to the logistics support system and delivery positions "ahead of the pack", says Schreiber. But there will be no JPO representation.
Source: Flight International
