OSLO, Norway, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The builders of the Joint Strike Fighter struck a supply deal with a Norwegian company that could help secureNorway's purchase of the plane.
Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace announced Tuesday it had signed a long-term agreement with U.S. contractors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to manufacture composite parts for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) should the Norwegian government decide to procure the JSF for its air force.
"The agreements were landed based on fully competitive prices, and completion of the agreements is conditional on Norway deciding to procure the JSF," Kongsberg said in a written statement "Before arriving at their decision in 2008, the Norwegian Armed Forces will be considering the JSF as one of three alternatives to succeed the F-16."
Kongsberg said the proposed eight-year deal would require them to build a new composites factory; however it could pay off to the tune of as much as 8 billion kroner ($1.25 billion).
Kongsberg said it was joining the effort to convince the Norwegian government to adopt the JSF, also known as the F-35 Lightning II, and help the company hedge its bets should Oslo opt for either the Eurofighter or the Swedish-built Gripen.
U.S. Ambassador Benson Whitney said in a speech in Norway last week that the Norwegians should acquire the F-35 as a means of standardizing NATO air operations, although a Defence Ministry official later told the newspaper Aftenposten that the alliance had a number of different planes and didn't depend on a single model, and reiterated that whatever jet is chosen will be "NATO compliant."
