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Dutch request participation in Joint Strike Fighter testing
July 12, 2007 (by
Lieven Dewitte) -
Dutch Deputy Minister of Defence Cees van der Knaap on Tuesday asked his U.S. counterpart Gordon England to include the Netherlands as an equal partner in the testing phase of the JSF.
The Netherlands joined the Joint Strike Fighter program as an SDD partner in June 2002 and have been involved in the JSF program since 1997. They are one of two so-called level 2 partners, contributing some 800 million dollars to the aircraft development.
In November last year they became the first of the partner nations to extend its participation into the production and support phase of the Joint Strike Fighter program. They are the third biggest non-US contributor to the program, after Britain and Italy.
During his visit to the Pentagon on Tuesday, Van der Knaap discussed the preconditions the Dutch would have to meet before being admitted as a fully-fledged testing partner.
Already in February, the Dutch government expressed its wish to participate in the testing. The Dutch have not yet made any decision on the purchase of the JSF aircraft.
Van der Knaap told reporters the US 'understand' the Dutch request to participate in the testing. He expects to have reached an agreement with the US before the end of the month.
He added a memorandum of understanding would be signed in November, after which the testing can begin.
Landing after its morning test flight on April 5th, 2007. [Photo by Keith Robinson]
In November last year they became the first of the partner nations to extend its participation into the production and support phase of the Joint Strike Fighter program. They are the third biggest non-US contributor to the program, after Britain and Italy.
During his visit to the Pentagon on Tuesday, Van der Knaap discussed the preconditions the Dutch would have to meet before being admitted as a fully-fledged testing partner.
Already in February, the Dutch government expressed its wish to participate in the testing. The Dutch have not yet made any decision on the purchase of the JSF aircraft.
Van der Knaap told reporters the US 'understand' the Dutch request to participate in the testing. He expects to have reached an agreement with the US before the end of the month.
He added a memorandum of understanding would be signed in November, after which the testing can begin.
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