The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme office expects partner nations to contribute up to $4 billion towards the development of the Lockheed Martin F-35. It is pressing potential participants to sign on as soon as possible to join the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase.
The JSF programme office (JPO) has made up a funding profile that assumes partner countries will be supplying 17% of the $19 billion in SDD funding awarded to Lockheed Martin and the $4 billion for the Pratt & Whitney JSF135 engine development. The UK signed up as the sole level one partner earlier this year and provides around half the total foreign contribution in return for 10 places in the JPO.
"We think we're really close to signing up Italy and the Netherlands, "says new JSF programme director Brig Gen Jack Hudson. Both have negotiated to join as level two participants. Negotiations have also been concluded with pending level three participants Canada, Denmark and Norway, which are awaiting government decisions on joining, while talks are continuing with potential level two player Turkey.
"From the JPO point of view we would like to get them on board as soon as possible," says Hudson. "If we get to the point of CDR [critical design review] and they have not signed up, it may not make a lot of sense to join after that point," he adds. The SDD schedule calls for a CDR to completed in around two years' time.
Source: Flight International
