Posted on 12/12/2006 8:11:51 AM PST by Yo-Yo
The UK has cleared a major hurdle over its purchase of Lockheed martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) after years of dispute over the ability to support and maintain the aircraft in the UK.
Coming a day before the aircraft, officially dubbed the Lightning II, is due to make its maiden flight, UK defence minister Lord Drayson signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US deputy secretary of defence Gordon England during a visit in Washington, DC today over the next phase of the project. The agreement guarantees "operational sovereignty" for the UK, Drayson says.
Operational sovereignty is defined as the UK having control over essential aspects of the aircraft so that it can be operated through life at the time of the UK’s choosing, says the Ministry of Defence. "We need to be able to integrate the JSF into the UK operating environment; operate, maintain, repair and upgrade the UK fleet to meet evolving through-life requirements; and certificate the aircraft as safe to fly," Drayson says.
Last week the House of Commons Defence Committee advised the MoD to draw up a 'plan B' with an alternate supplier of fighter jets selected in case the USA refused to concede technology transfer elemente essential to maintain its own fleet. Other partner nations have argued for such clearances and are likely to be bolstered by today's agreement, although the UK is the only Level One partner nation in the programme.
Lord Drayson said: “After an excellent meeting with Gordon England, I am delighted to be able to sign this MoU which will take the UK into the next phase of the JSF programme. I have always been clear that the UK would only sign if we were satisfied that we would have operational sovereignty over our aircraft. I have today received the necessary assurances from the US on technology transfer to allow me to sign the MoU.”
"Friends" come and go, but new technology should stay at home!
Not good. Militant Islam will have access to it when England and Europe falls a decade from now.
The Brits are into our defense. Look at BAE System, I work with them everyday and I have traveled to England quit a few times.
If we can't trust the Brits, we will have bigger problems than al Qaeda knowing the software code in the F-35's computers.
Atleast with Airbust doing everything they can to screw over their UK units recently, I predict the UK will be much more open for working with US aircraft and defense companies now and begin washing their hands of the french dominated Airbust.
Airbust recently tried to blackmail the UK government saying they couldn't guarantee the UK would continue to build the wings and components for the A380 and get work for the A350, unless they gave billions in non-refundable launch aid for the A350.
As a practical matter, this was necessary. It would be ludicrous to sell the Brits F-35s and say: "We're not going to tell you how it works; call us if it breaks down." And if Brits stop being our bestest buddies, then the end is near...
TC
Gordon England isnt the sec def...hes the air force secretary...I THINK..
Hey! They helped pay for it.
Gordon is DepSecDef. Mike Wynn is SecAF.
TC
I remember reading years ago that the Brits were slated to get the source code as part of the agreement. Looks to me like the US was forcing the Brits to hold to their security agreements made way back when (and probably hadn't come thru on). The fact that they got the source code after only a couple of days indicates to me that the Brits ultimately satisfied us on the security issues.
If they hadn't, they were really left with a list of less-than-attractive alternatives to the F35. Rafael-M? A Sukhoi varient? A navalized Typhoon Eurofighter (they'd wait years for that one)?
The US was holding the hammer in this dispute (which is not to say that Lockheed-Martin wasn't sweating).
I don't think any of their "Plan B's" were all that viable. The design on their carriers is pretty much set. Go with a different aircraft, and that re-opens the carrier design -- which they can't afford -- and postpones their arrival in the Fleet several years. The Brits had a second-best poker hand on this one -- especially when you consider that the USAF wouldn't mind seeing the F35 go down the tubes so that they can expand the F22 buy.
I have no problems with Britain having this tech. I just pray to god it never gets in the hands of the French or Germans. They will sell us out faster than a heartbeat to russia or china. The EU cant be trusted.
Good or bad. The British and the Americans share the same fate in the long run.
Regards.
This is truly a "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation.
The real question should "how will the U.S. technology be stolen, and how fast"?
While I have concerns about our latest technology in the wrong hands, it's more likely this technology will be lost/compromised by a H1B working in the U.S. at one of the jobs U.S. engineers won't do,[sarcasm off] or sold/gifted to enemy by a greedy employee or Liberal Democrat.
Much more likely. Good point.
Regards.
The USAF didn't try to kill the F-16 so that they could buy more F-15s. They did end up loading so much crap into the F-16 that it's inital affordability was lessened, but for Air Superiority you need quality, for ongoing strike you need quantity. That formula hasn't changed.
HEY AMERICA, IS THAT WISE?
HEY AMERICA, IS THAT WISE?
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