User:SidewinderX/Sandbox/Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II international participation

Main article: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

While the United States is the primary customer and financial backer, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway and Denmark have agreed to contribute US$4.375 billion toward the development costs of the program. Total development costs are estimated at more than US$40 billion (underwritten largely by the United States), while the purchase of an estimated 2,400 planes is expected to cost an additional US$200 billion. The nine major partner nations plan to acquire over 3,100 F-35s through 2035, making the F-35 one of the most numerous jet fighters.

Participant nations:

  Primary customer: USA

  Level 1 partner: UK

  Level 2 partner: Italy and the Netherlands

  Level 3 partner: Canada, Turkey, Australia, Norway and Denmark

  Security Cooperative Participants (SCP): Israel and Singapore

There are three levels of international participation. The levels generally reflect the financial stake in the program, the amount of technology transfer and subcontracts open for bid by national companies, and the order in which countries can obtain production aircraft. The United Kingdom is the sole "Level 1" partner, contributing US$2.5 billion, which was about 10% of the planned development costs under the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding that brought the UK into the project. Level 2 partners are Italy, which is contributing US$1 billion; and the Netherlands, US$800 million. Level 3 partners are Canada, US$475 million; Turkey, US$195 million; Australia, US$144 million; Norway, US$122 million and Denmark, US$110 million. Israel and Singapore have joined as Security Cooperative Participants (SCP).

Some of the partner countries have wavered in their public commitment to the JSF program, hinting or warning that unless they receive more subcontracts or technology transfer, they will forsake JSF for the Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Dassault Rafale or simply upgrade their existing aircraft. Furthermore, F-35 export competitiveness has been hurt by international buyers finding either its export variant too costly per unit or "watered down", although the program executive officer, Brigadier General David Heinz stated that exported F-35s will be of the same configuration as US F-35s. While the F-16E/F costs $50 million per export copy, the F-35 is likely to cost between $65–120 million.

Level 1 partner

United Kingdom

Main article: Joint Combat Aircraft

The United Kingdom planned to acquire 138 F-35Bs as of December 2006 for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. But speculation mounts in 2009 that they may switch from the F-35B to the F-35C model, with its greater range and payload the UK would require fewer aircraft and save about $25 million for each aircraft ordered.

The UK became increasingly frustrated by a lack of U.S. commitment to grant access to the technology that would allow the UK to maintain and upgrade its F-35s without US involvement. This is understood to relate mainly to the software for the aircraft. For five years, British officials sought an ITAR waiver to secure greater technology transfer. This request, which had the blessing of the Bush administration, was repeatedly blocked by U.S. Representative Henry Hyde, who said that the UK needed to tighten its laws protecting against the unauthorized transfer of the most advanced U.S. technology to third parties.

On 27 May 2006, President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that "Both governments agree that the UK will have the ability to successfully operate, upgrade, employ, and maintain the Joint Strike Fighter such that the UK retains operational sovereignty over the aircraft." On 12 December 2006, Lord Drayson signed an agreement which met the UK's demands for further participation, i.e., access to software source code and operational sovereignty. The agreement allows "an unbroken British chain of command" for operation of the aircraft. Drayson said Britain would "not be required to have a US citizen in our own operational chain of command". Drayson also said, however, that Britain is still considering an unspecified "Plan B" alternative to buying the Joint Strike Fighter.

On 25 July 2007, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that they have placed orders for the two new aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth class that will allow the purchase of the F-35B variant. On 2 May 2008, however, the Washington Post reported that an Inspector General's report chided the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Security Service for failing to ensure that BAE Systems was exercising appropriate controls over access to sensitive technologies, while both BAE and Lockheed Martin denied that any technology had been compromised.

On 18 March 2009, Defence Secretary John Hutton announced the MoD had agreed to purchase three test F-35Bs, and on 22 December 2009 financial approval for the purchase of the third aircraft was given.

On 26 January 2010, following over 18 months of simulator training, Squadron Leader Steve Long, by completing a test flight, became the first UK active duty pilot to fly the F-35.

Level 2 partner

Italy

Italy is the second largest contributor partner after the UK in the JSF program. As of October 2008, Italy outlined a requirement for 131 F-35s for the Aeronautica Militare and Marina Militare. Present plans schedule the acquisition of 69 F-35As and 62 F-35Bs. Italian Navy will get 22 F-35Bs while the Air Force will get 69 F-35A and 40 F-35B STOVL version aircraft. The Navy plans to use the F-35Bs on the new Cavour STOVL carrier.

Alenia Aeronautica will be the second source supplier of the wing box. Under the terms of agreement Alenia Aeronautica is slated to produce more than 1,200 wings for the F-35 for the nine partners, United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, Canada, Denmark and Norway. Other participation in the program include work on the electro-optical targeting system, on the electronic-warfare suite, ejection seat, radio, 25 mm gun and DAS systems, performed by the Finmeccanica's companies. Avio is participating in both the Pratt & Whitney F135 and General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 powerplant programs.

On 7 October 2008, Italy announced it will not participate in initial F-35 testing and evaluation, and will not purchase test aircraft.

Italy's Air Base of Cameri will be the only Final Assembly and Check Out/Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul & Upgrade (FACO/MRO&U) facility outside the US, for the final assembly of F-35s to be delivered to Italy and the Netherlands, with an estimated cost of $775 million. The FACO could also operate as a regional maintenance and support center within the F-35 logistics solution.

Netherlands

The Netherlands has plans to acquire 85 F-35As for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The aircraft will replace an aging fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16AM. The Dutch government expects the costs to be €5.5 billion for the initial purchase and €9.1 billion for 30 years of service; which comes down to a lifetime cost of about 215 Million US$ per unit. On 19 November 2007, in the Dutch Parliament, the Secretary of Defence was questioned about the JSF delay, technical problems and rising costs. However, on 29 February 2008, the executive council of the Dutch government decided to go ahead with the purchase of two test aircraft and a MOU was signed. On 7 September 2008 Dutch television show "Reporter" reports that counter orders are lagging behind compared to promises and that an active lobby by the Royal Netherlands Air Force has manipulated the Dutch government into participating in the project.

The Dutch parliament has voted to cancel its order for the first test series. Because there is only a caretaker government at the moment, Defence Minister Van Middelkoop stated he can and will not honour the wishes of the parliament.

Level 3 partner

Canada

Canada has been involved in the Joint Strike Fighter Program from its beginning, investing US$10 million to be an "informed partner" during the evaluation process. Once Lockheed Martin was selected as the primary contractor for the JSF program, Canada elected to become a level 3 participant along with Norway, Denmark, Turkey, and Australia on the JSF project. An additional US$100 million from the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) over 10 years and another $50 million from Industry Canada were dedicated in 2002, making them an early participant of the JSF program.

Alan S. Williams of Queen's University has indicated that he believes that Canada's rationale for joining the JSF project was not due to an urgent need to replace Canada's fleet of CF-18 Hornets; instead, it was driven primarily by economics. Through Canadian government investment in the JSF project, Williams says that Canadian companies were allowed to compete for contracts within the JSF project, as there were fears that being shut out from industrial participation in such a large program would severely damage the Canadian aviation industry. Joining also furthered Canadian access to information regarding the F-35 as a possible contender when it eventually plans to replace the CF-18 Hornet fleet. Improved interoperability with major allies allowed the DND to gain insight on leading edge practices in composites, manufacturing and logistics, and offered the ability to recoup some investment if the government did decide to purchase the F-35.

As a result of the Canadian government investment in the JSF project, 144 contracts were awarded to Canadian companies, universities, and government facilities. Financially, the contracts are valued at US$490 million for the period 2002 to 2012, with an expected value of US$1.1 billion from current contracts in the period between 2013 and 2023, and a total potential estimated value of Canadian JSF involvement from US$4.8 billion to US$6.8 billion.

On 16 July 2010, the Canadian government announced that it would buy 65 F-35s to replace the existing 80 CF-18s for $16B (with all ancillary costs included) starting in 2016. Opposition Liberal Party Leader Michael Ignatieff immediately called for the House of Commons Defence Committee to reconvene as soon as possible and examine the purchase, calling it a "secretive, unaccountable decision to proceed with this contract." Ignatieff has claimed they would put the sole-sourced contract on hold should they form the next government. The purchase announcement has created Canadian media speculation that, with the national opposition parties uniting against the sole-source contract, this contract may bring down the minority Conservative government and force an election over the issue. The media have criticized the aircraft as being too expensive, too short-ranged, and too complex for Canada's needs.

There has also been much support for the program. MGen Tom Lawson, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, has said that the stealth of the F-35 could be helpful in defending Canada's sovereignty as Russian bombers would be faced with an undetectable threshold. Many members of the opposition Liberal party, such as retired general Romeo Dallaire and former Quebec Liberal MP Jacques Saada have sided with the Conservative government's purchase of the F-35s. Dallaire has referred to the F-35 as an "excellent" fighter and has suggested Canada should actually purchase more than the contracted 65, while Saada, the current head of Quebec's Aerospace Association (AQA), claimed the contract was the culmination of a "very serious" competitive bidding process in the late 1990s - countering the claims of the two opposition parties.

Canadian Wikipedia controversy

On 28 July 2010 the National Post newspaper reported that IP addresses registered to the Canadian Department of National Defence Defence Research Establishment Ottawa had been used on 20 and 21 July to try to remove text critical of the Canadian government's F-35 purchase from the Wikipedia article on the aircraft. Repeated attempts to remove the text and add insults to the opposition were made by three IP addresses at the establishment. Martin Champoux, DRDC Manager of Public Affairs indicated it was not part of a government campaign to eliminate criticism, stating, "It sounds to me like someone was freelancing. This is not behaviour we commonly condone." Champoux indicated organization IT specialists are attempting to track down the people responsible and that employees will be reminded about government regulations regarding personal computer use. On 31 July 2010 The Ottawa Citizen reported that the IP addresses responsible had been traced to CFB Cold Lake.

Official Opposition leader Michael Ignatieff stated on 29 July 2010 that the Wikipedia incidents show the government has "something to hide". He added, "Instead of making the case for Canadians ... saying, 'this is why we need this plane,' they're playing these games with Wikipedia. If you can't prove this case straight up and you have to resort to these tricks, then there's something wrong with the very proposition."

New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton publicly said on 29 July 2010, "Attempting to expunge the realities of debate. I mean what the heck is going on here? We all knew [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper operated a controlling operation, but we didn't think he was willing to go so far as to snatch the words out of people's mouths and pretend they never were spoken. I hope that DND are simply disavowing this practice and will put a stop to it ASAP."

Turkey

On 12 July 2002, Turkey became the seventh international partner in the JSF Project, joining the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark and Norway. On 25 January 2007, Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for involvement in F-35 production. The Turkish Air Force is planning to initially order 116 F-35A "CTOL/Air Force versions" at a reported cost of $11 billion. In October 2009, Murad Bayar, head of the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, has said that Turkey may increase its order to 120 aircraft instead of purchasing Eurofighter Typhoons.

The F-35 will be produced under license in Turkey by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). TAI is one of the two international suppliers to Northrop Grumman (the other being Terma in Denmark). A Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed between TAI and Northrop Grumman ISS (NGISS) International on 6 February 2007. With the LOI, TAI became the second source for the F-35 center fuselage. The number of center fuselages to be produced by TAI will depend on the number of F-35s Turkey procures and the number of F-35s produced worldwide. On 10 December 2007, TAI was authorized by Northrop Grumman to commence fabricating subassemblies for the first two F-35 production aircraft. The subassemblies – composite components and aircraft access doors – are used in the F-35 center fuselage, a major section of the aircraft being produced by Northrop Grumman, a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 global industry team.

Northrop Grumman currently produces all F-35 center fuselages at its F-35 assembly facility in Palmdale, California. After 2013, TAI will produce 100% of the F-35 under license from Lockheed Martin Corporation, as was the case with the F-16 Fighting Falcon program Peace Onyx I and II. In the future, Turkey intends to incorporate several Turkish designed and manufactured electronic systems into the F-35 platform.

Australia

Australia's then-Minister for Defence Dr. Brendan Nelson signing the JSF Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding in December 2006

Australia is participating in the F-35's development, and is expected that overall, 72 or more F-35As will be ordered to replace the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF's) F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. The Australian Government announced that it would buy into the F-35's development on 22 June 2002. This decision ended the competition to replace Australia's F/A-18 and F-111 aircraft before it formally began, with other aircraft manufacturers being advised that it would not be worth submitting proposals. The Government argued that joining the F-35 program at an early stage would allow Australia to influence the F-35's development, provide the Government with information on the aircraft's suitability, and generate savings of over $600 million if an order for F-35s is eventually placed. Australia formally signed up to the F-35 Systems Development and Demonstration phase as a Level 3 participant on 30 October 2002.

In November 2006, satisfied with the F-35's progress to date, the Government gave 'first pass' initial approval to the project under which F-35s will be acquired, with a decision on whether to order the aircraft being scheduled for late 2008. Following this initial approval, on 13 December 2006 Australia signed the JSF Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding which commits Australia to the next phase of the F-35's development. In October 2006, the deputy chief of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal John Blackburn, publicly stated that the RAAF had considered suitable aircraft which could be acquired if the F-35 was delayed, but that such aircraft were not believed to be necessary on the basis of the F-35 program's progress at the time. Concerns over the F-35s delivery schedule developed in Australia during 2007. In February the Minister for Defence announced that a risk mitigation strategy which involved obtaining F/A-18F Hornets was being developed to prevent a gap in the RAAF's air combat capability if the F-35 program was delayed. This strategy was adopted, and an order for 24 F/A-18Fs was announced on 6 March 2007. These aircraft are scheduled to enter service with the RAAF in 2010 and be fully operational by 2012.

Following the 2007 Australian Federal Election, the new Australian Labor Party Government launched an inquiry into the replacement of the RAAF's air combat capability. The party had expressed concerns over the F-35's adequacy while it was in opposition, and proposed acquiring F-22s to replace or supplement the RAAF's F-35 force. An approach was made to the U.S. Government for F-22s in early 2008, but was not successful as these aircraft are not available for export. In April 2008 it was reported that the air combat review had found that the F-35 was the most suitable aircraft for Australia. In October 2008 it was reported that the Australian Government may order 75 F-35s instead of the 100 originally (and still officially) planned, due to the impact of the global financial crisis and a large long-term funding gap in the Defence budget. The Government's Defence white paper released in April 2009 argued for a purchase of up to 100 F-35s, however.

There has been much debate in Australia over whether the F-35 is the most suitable aircraft for the RAAF. It has been claimed that the F-35's performance is inferior to Russian-built fighters operated by countries near Australia (such as the Su-27 and Su-30 in Indonesia), that it cannot meet the RAAF's long-range strike requirement, and that further delays to the F-35 program may result in the RAAF experiencing a shortage of combat aircraft. The RAAF has stated that it believes that the F-35 will meet Australia's needs, and both of Australia's major political parties currently support the development and purchase of the aircraft (though differences remain on the deadline and the number of aircraft).

On 21 August 2009, it was reported that the RAAF would get two F-35s for testing in 2014 and that the initial squadron would be delayed until 2017. On 11 September 2009, Air Marshall Mark Binskin said that a fourth squadron of F-35s for the RAAF would be imperative. On 25 November 2009, Australia committed to placing a first order for 14 aircraft at a cost of AUD3.2 billion with deliveries to begin in 2014.

Norway

Norway participates in the F-35 program as a Level 3 partner in the System Development and Demonstration phase with a view to enabling its industry to compete for industrial opportunities. Norwegian National Deputy Rune Fagerli, the country's sole representative on the Joint Strike Fighter program, told SPACE.com the Norwegian Royal Ministry of Defence has pledged $125 million in preparations to replace a fleet of F-16 jets that have about 12 years left of operation. "By getting involved here, on the ground level, we can try and address the needs of Norway into this capable fighter early," said Fagerli, a colonel. In Norway, F-16s are fitted with drag chutes because of wet, slippery runways. International cooperation to aircraft development could also yield aircraft from cooperating nations that fit well together during combat. Fagerli also mentioned that Norwegian pilots currently fly missions over Afghanistan in F-16s alongside Danish and Dutch aviators.

Norway has several times threatened to put their support on hold unless substantial guarantees for an increased industrial share is provided. Despite this Norway has signed all the Memoranda of Understanding, including the latest one detailing the future production phase of the JSF program. They have, however, indicated that they will increase and strengthen their cooperation with both competitors of the JSF, the Typhoon and the Gripen.

The F-35 was evaluated along with JAS 39 Gripen by the Norwegian Future Combat Aircraft Capability Project as a replacement for the F-16s currently in-service. On 20 November 2008, the government released a statement saying it will support buying F-35s for the Royal Norwegian Air Force instead of the Gripen NG.

The Norwegian Air Force has decided to develop the Joint Strike Missile for the F-35 and other aircraft.

Denmark

Denmark has joined the Joint Strike Fighter program as a Level 3 partner and the Royal Danish Air Force is considering the replacement of 48 of its aging F-16 fighters with next generation aircraft.

Denmark's MPs are not expected to vote on a purchase of the F-35 before 2012, and are considering alternatives such as the JAS 39 Gripen, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and Eurofighter.

Security Cooperative Participants (SCP)

Israel

In 2003, Israel signed a formal letter of agreement, worth almost $20 million, to join the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) effort for the F-35 as a "security cooperation participant" (SCP). The Israeli Air Force (IAF) stated in 2006 that the F-35 is a key part of IAF's recapitalization plans, and that Israel intends to buy over 100 F-35A fighters at an estimated cost of over $5 billion to replace their F-16s over time. Israel was reinstated as a partner in the development of the F-35 on 31 July 2006, after Israeli participation was put on hold following the Chinese arms deal crisis.

On 16 November 2006, Yaakov Katz, of The Jerusalem Post reported that if no jet fighters were delivered to Israel between the last batch of F-16s in 2007 and the first F-35s in 2014 then the Israeli air force would decline in numbers as older fighters wore out and were retired.

On 3 September 2007, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi announced the purchase of a squadron of F-35s which Israel will begin receiving in 2014. However, U.S. defense officials later agreed to allow Israel to receive the fighters as early as 2012. The price of each F-35 is expected to reach $70–80 million.

The Jerusalem Post reported in 2008 that the Pentagon has agreed to supply the F-35A variant to Israel as early as 2012, instead of in 2014 or 2015. This would make Israel one of the first nations to receive the aircraft, and very possibly the first foreign nation. Previous objections to Israel’s installation of its own technology in the F-35 – as it has done with every US fighter it has received – were also reportedly overcome. At present, the only Israeli technology in the standard version will be the JSF HMDS helmet-mounted display system, designed in cooperation with Elbit Systems. Israel also asked to manufacture F-35 aircraft locally at a 1:2 ratio, but the reports did not indicate whether that request was granted. On 30 September 2008, the US DoD reported that Israel has requested to purchase 25 F-35As with options to buy up to 50 F-35As or F-35Bs.

On 24 June 2009, The Jerusalem Post reported that an understanding had been reached on "the main basic issues". These include Israeli electronics and the ability to maintain the aircraft independently and that deliveries could start as early as 2014. On 8 September 2009, The Jerusalem Post reported that negotiations had bogged down again over Israeli insistence that they be given sufficient technical details to enable them to equip the aircraft with their own technologies and repair them independently. On 4 November 2009, it reported that a likely failure to sign a contract for 25 aircraft by the start of 2010 would delay the deliveries one or two years past the 2014 target date.

Haaretz has reported disaffection by Israeli defense firms over what will be their minimal contributions to "the largest procurement program in IDF history." A contract was to be signed in March 2010, but is to be put off until spring 2011 due to F-35 flight testing delays.

Israel continues to have issues with having to depend on the global F-35 support chain and the inability to install Israel specific electronic warfare systems.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is developing smaller versions of the Python (missile) and Derby for internal carriage while Israel Military Industries is developing a penetration bomb in the same configuration as the Mk 82 500 lb bomb. However these have been put off in order to rush the aircraft into operation to deal with the Nuclear program of Iran.

In 2010 Israel added the additional condition for a US-run logistics and maintenance center in Israel and the United States refused to provide Israel with a specially modified experimental F-35 that could be flown to develop Israeli modifications.

On 26 July 2010, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that he would insist on the industrial participation, local electronic warfare parts and local weapons aspects during his trip to the United States.

Singapore

In February 2003, Singapore joined the JSF program's System Design and Development (SDD) Phase, as a Security Co-operation Participant (SCP). Singapore could be buying up to 100 F-35s.

Potential exports

The F-35 is a possible future offer to the Indian Air Force as of July 2007. This has been interpreted as part of a tactic to sell the F-16 as a multirole fighter to the IAF, as part of its competition to acquire 126 new fighters. Lockheed Martin formally expressed its interest to sell F-35s to India. It is also known that the Indian Navy has shown interest in buying the F-35B. Lockheed Martin has offered ‘B’and ‘C’ versions of the F-35 fighters aircraft to meet Indian Navy’s requirements for carrier-based combat aircraft.

The Brazilian Air Force recently has added the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the list of aircraft under consideration for its relaunched new fighter procurement, called F-X2. The F-35 replaces the F-16, which was in contention for the previous F-X BR program, shelved in 2003 and finally abandoned in 2006. Lockheed Martin did not offer the F-35 and instead bid the F-16BR in 2008.

The Finnish Air Force has expressed its interest in the F-35, and other "advanced aircraft", as the replacement for its F-18C Hornets. An eventual purchase decision would be taken around 2015.

The future Spanish Navy ship Juan Carlos I (L61) is adapted to carry JSF and AV-8B Harrier.

Lockheed Martin is offering the F-35 to Greece's Hellenic Air Force as a replacement for F-4E Peace Icarus 2000 and F-16C/D Block 30 aircraft.

Taiwan has requested to buy the F-35 from the US. However this has been rejected by the US in fear of a critical response from China. In March 2009 Taiwan again was looking to buy U.S. fifth-generation fighter jets featuring stealth and vertical takeoff capabilities.

The United States has asked Japan for a billion yen for basic information about the F-35 and is only willing to disclose information about the F-35's stealth features after Japan commits to the purchase. The Japanese Defense Ministry did not include a request for the fighter in its 2011 budget, but it has strong support in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

South Korea is considering the F-35 amongst several other competitors for the third stage of its F-X program.

The United Arab Emirates has requested information about a possible sale of F-35s, however the United States has delayed for months on the response.

References