OSLO - De Noorse regering heeft de F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter) gekozen als opvolger van de F-16. Het Amerikaanse toestel komt bij een vergelijking beter uit de bus dan de Zweedse Saab Gripen en wordt bovendien aangeboden tegen een lagere prijs, aldus een bekendmaking van de Noorse regering.
Hoeveel geld met de aanschaf van de F-35’s gemoeid is, is niet bekendgemaakt. De JSF’s zouden zo’n 680 miljoen euro goedkoper zijn dan de Gripens.

De F-35 is volgens de Noorse regering het enige toestel dat voldoet aan de operationele eisen. Bij de keuze is ook gekeken naar de kansen op orders voor de Noorse industrie.

De Joint Strike Fighter vervangt bij de Noorse luchtmacht in totaal 48 F-16’s.

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Reuters, Friday November 28 2008
* Procurement agency wants Airbus timetable clarification
* OCCAR does not expect maiden flight before next summer
* EADS reiterates no firm date for test flight, delivery
(Rewrites, adds EADS statement)
By Sabine Siebold
BERLIN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - European arms chiefs want Airbus parent EADS to break its silence over the timetable for the delayed A400M airlifter and are estimating it will be 18 months late, according to a German government document seen by Reuters.
The 20 billion euro project to provide airlift capacity to seven European NATO countries has been postponed indefinitely by Airbus Military as the planemaker and its engine producers argue over the blame for flaws in the
plane's turbo-prop power system.
Since delaying the first flight in September, EADS has declined to say when the aircraft, which was already running 6-12 months late, would be ready, saying it was at the mercy of the performance of its engine suppliers.
OCCAR, the procurement...

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By Sabine Pirone and Andrea Rothman
Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Airbus SAS, the world’s biggest maker of commercial aircraft, said the first flight of the A400M military-transport plane is unlikely to take place before the second half of next year as it struggles
with engine difficulties.
The A400M’s test flight has been delayed by continuing problems with the Fadec engine-control system, for which Airbus is awaiting a new plan from engine manufacturers, Tom Williams, head of aircraft programs, said today at a briefing in Filton, England.
The transport plane has been planned since the 1980s as Airbus seeks to compete with Lockheed Martin Corp.’s smaller Hercules and Boeing Co.’s larger C-17. Airbus and parent European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. are asking the seven countries that placed the original 20 billion-euro ($25.6 billion) order for 192 of the planes to reach a new accord that will have governments shoulder more risk, Williams said today.
“We are saying to the governments that we n...

[ Continued ]