Closer UK-Norwegian Collaboration on the F-35

 

Norway and the UK will look for opportunities for collaboration regarding the future training, operations and sustainment of the F-35 in Europe. This is the conclusion after Norwegian State Secretary Mr Eirik Øwre Thorshaug met with his UK colleague, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Mr Phillip Dunne on 5 September.

The meeting was held in the offices of the UK Ministry of Defence in London, and is the result of initial talks between the F-35 programs of the two countries that have gone on for the past year. The objective of this closer cooperation is to find solutions that ensure better and more efficient operation of the aircraft as deliveries to European F-35 partner nations commences towards the end of this decade.

An area of particular interest to Norway is maintenance of the F-35 engine, known as the F-135. The Norwegian state enterprise AIM Norway seeking to position itself for engine maintenance for all European F-35s, and will then, in the longer term, have the opportunity to become part of the support structure for hundreds of aircraft.

During their meeting, the two countries agreed on a joint statement on future collaboration. Read this here:

 Read the full statement here.

For further information or comments, please contact Defense Ministry press office on +47 23096011 - fdinfo@fd.dep.no or Communications Advisor with the Norwegian Combat Aircraft Program Endre Lunde +47 90853270 - endre.lunde@fd.dep.no.  

Facts about the Norwegian procurement of the F-35.

• Norway will acquire up to 52 F-35 combat aircraft to help ensure that its Armed Forces also in the future will be able to fulfill its tasks in the best way possible.

• The project is estimated to cost 62.6 billion real 2013 values. The overall Norwegian cost estimates have been stable since 2008.

• The first four F-35s will be used to train of Norwegian pilots, and were authorized by the Norwegian Parliament in 2011. The first two of these four aircraft will be delivered in the United States in 2015, and the last two in 2016.

• Parliament in June 2013 gave the government the authority to order the first six aircraft in the main body of the procurement. These will be delivered in 2017.