Defence

Norway is facing the possibility of further delays in procuring new fighter aircraft as its defence ministry admits it may miss its target of presenting a recommendation to Norway's parliament by the second quarter of next year.

Defence minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen says it is "hard to say we will have all the goals by next spring". Oslo aims to make a final selection by the end of 2008.

The country is considering the Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen and Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to replace its Lockheed F-16 fleet. Strøm-Erichsen says the ministry is "going into deeper dialogue with all three. We will evaluate in a much more detailed way." Offset requirements form part of the discussions, but "we have tried to have a dialogue with all three candidates so this should not be a reason not to choose one of them", she says.

Meanwhile, Norway's Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace is continuing studies on the JSM air-to-ground variant of its NSM missile, to be fitted to whichever aircraft is chosen.