Defence Minister Gives the All Clear for JSF Production Phase Agreement

, Defence Minister Anne-Grete Strom-Erichsen has decided to sign the production phase agreement for the Joint Strike Fighter Programme. Progress has also been made in the negotiations over development agreements with the two other candidates in the combat aircraft acquisition project, JAS Gripen and Eurofighter. 
 
The Norwegian signature of the JSF Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been held back in order to achieve more tangible (industrial participation) agreements for Norwegian industry in the JSF programme. What has now been achieved in this respect is substantial enough to continue our participation in the multinational JSF collaboration. The signature entails that Norway will continue the participation in the JSF programme while maintaining competition between the three contenders to the potential new combat aircraft acquisition.