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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1726.PDF
DEFENCE JSF PAUL LEWIS / HARTFORD & TOM GILL / LONDON More countries to sign up for F-35 JPO issues mid-July deadline to commit to programme The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) pro gramme 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 par ticipants 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 contribut ing $ 1 billion. Norway is due to fol low 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 compa nies 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 Lol 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 sec ond-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 part ner, 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 secu rity co-operation partners, the Time is running out for potential participants in the Joint Strike Fighter entry fee for which has been low ered to $25-50 million. Countries in return will be offered technical data, modelling and simulation, an input to the logistics support sys tem and delivery positions "ahead of the pack", says Schreiber. But there will be no JPO representation. Five awarded Dutch work Around 70% of the work promised to the Netherlands' aerospace industry in return for its Level 2 JSF participation is concentrated in five companies. Stork's Fokker business will supply all flight moveable doors and 25% of wiring harnesses, while Philips will share in the General Electric F136 alternate engine and Thales Netherlands in the avionics and possibly radar. Perot Systems Netherlands, Sun Electric and Fokker Space have linked in the PHM Consortium to develop prognostic health monitoring sys tem. Stork business could amount to $10 billion, based on selling 6,000 aircraft for the US/UK and exports. Further talks are now possible between Thales and Northrop Grumman for radar work, and between Lockheed Martin and Fokker Space, which is minority owned by Stork, for an on-board simulation system. General Electric and Philips are also in talks over the supply of a titanium nozzle and blisk production technol ogy engine fan. SR owned by RDM Technology and manufacturer of F16 landing gear, is also in the running to supply landing gear and tailhooks. FIGHTER REPLACEMENT PETER LA FRANCHI / CANBERRA Australia hangs fire on decision over joining JSF Australia is signalling it may seek replacement programme. offer from BAE Systems and a lems were identified, while am k more time from the USA to decide on participation in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) system development and demonstration phase. The USA is seeking a firm commitment from Australia next month. The Australian Cabinet's National Security Council (NSC) is due to consider the issue within the next five to eight weeks. In par allel, the NSC will consider whether to retire early the Royal Australian Air Force's General Dynamics F-lll fleet and proceed with an interim strike fighter replacemen . Australian defence minister Robert Hill said last week that, despite the US request, "I don't think we can be driven by dead lines. We understand that they have asked us for a response by that date. We are carrying out our investigations and we try to do everything as expeditiously as possible, but this is a very complex issue." Hill also revealed Dassault has made an unsolicited Rafale pro posal for an interim F-lll replace ment, alongside a Eurofighter lease offe a Boeing F/A-18E/F proposal. Meanwhile, Australia is re-wing ing its F-llls pending NSC deci sions on the type's retirement. The fleet was grounded in February after wing fatigue problems were discovered. RAAF commander Air Marshal Angus Houston told Senate hear ings earlier this month that replacement wings are being acquired from decommissioned US Air Force F-llls. Four replacement wing sets had been received when the wing prob lem , another seven sets had been delivered in the past three months. "We expect to get a delivery of all the other sets, one every fortnight, until we get 26 wing sets," says Houston. Eight F-lllCs and seven F-lllGs will be re-winged using the USAF-standard short-span wings rather than the long-span equivalents fitted to Australia's air craft. Houston says: "The short wings have a much longer life than the long wings and they will take us through to whatever withdrawal date the government requires." 16 11-17 JUNE 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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