Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC
NORWAY IS SEEKING to join the US/UK Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme.The Scandinavian country regards the JSF as a possible replacement for its Lockheed F-16 MLUs (mid-life updates), which will be retired by about 2012.
The Norwegian air force says that it wants to join as an "informed customer", a status that will require it to take at least a 0.5% share of the project. A White Paper has been presented to the country's parliament, stating its intention to join the JSF, initially just to keep abreast of programme developments.
The Scandinavian country will probably wait "one or two years" before considering deeper involvement in the programme, partly because the project is still in its infancy, but also because the Oslo wants to focus its attention on replacing its Northrop Grumman F-5 fleet by 2003.
JSF programme manager Adm Craig Steidle says that he hopes to begin negotiations with Norway shortly. He says that the US Department of Defense has established a framework of conditions to be applied for international participation in the JSF programme, which sets four levels of partnership.
A "full collaborative partner" must take a minimum 10% stake in the programme and receives the right to influence requirements. An "associate partner" must take a minimum 2% stake and gains limited influence on requirements and limited participation in the programme. An "informed customer" gains access to JSF information in return for a minimum 0.5% stake. Finally, contracts can be placed directly with foreign companies.
Steidle says that he has briefed Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden on the JSF programme. He is scheduled to brief European Lockheed Martin F-16 operators, including the air forces of Belgium and Denmark, on 13 June.
So far, the UK is the only overseas participant in the programme, its 10% ($200 million) investment in the forthcoming concept-development phase winning it full collaborative-partner status. UK participation in the $16 billion JSF engineering- and manufacturing-development programme, planned to begin in 2001, has yet to be decided, says Air Vice Marshal Peter Norriss, head of combat-aircraft procurement for the UK Ministry of Defence.
Norriss confirms that the JSF short-take-off/vertical-landing (STOVL) version is the "principal candidate" for the UK's Future Carrier-Based Aircraft requirement to replace the Royal Navy's British Aerospace Sea Harrier F/A2s, beginning in 2012. He admits that it is "possible" that a JSF variant could fulfil the Royal Air Force's Future Offensive Aircraft requirement to replace the Panavia Tornado GR4 beginning in 2015.
Norriss appeals for increased UK-industry involvement in the JSF programme. The request for proposals for the concept-development phase calls for "equitable workshare" for the UK, based on its 10% involvement. So far, McDonnell Douglas (MDC) has teamed with British Aerospace, while Rolls-Royce is co-operating with General Electric and Allison on the lift engine for MDC's STOVL variant.
Boeing has selected Dowty and GEC-Marconi as subcontractors, while R-R is working with Pratt & Whitney on the direct-lift system for its STOVL design. Lockheed Martin says that it has talked with 28 UK companies, but has yet to announce any agreements. R-R is involved in developing the lift system for the Lockheed Martin STOVL variant and is collaborating with GE and Allison on the F120 competitive engine for all JSF versions.
Additional reporting by Andrzej Jeziorski.
Source: Flight International
