April 19, 2001. Copyright 2001. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

Multinational warplane is biggest defence contract in history

LONDON, April 19, Graphic News: Lockheed Martin and Boeing arenÕt popping the champagne corks yet. Both U.S. defence contractors hope that will come in October -- that is if George W. BushÕs new administration decides to award the Òwinner-takes-allÓ contract to build the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). 

The ÒifÓ is because some members of the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) have suggested Washington cancel the JSF, skipping that generation of technology to move straight on to pilotless combat jets; this comes as Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld completes a no-holds-barred review of U.S. military strategy and defence spending.

The JSF would be the most widely produced fighter in aviation history, with the winner selling thousands of fighter planes to the U.S. and its allies. The goal is to deliver a plane featuring 80 percent common parts and design for all services using it. 

The JSF -- which is to replace older fighters in the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, as well as BritainÕs Royal Air Force and Royal Navy -- is the biggest defence contract in history, with estimates of its value for the first 2,852 warplanes, to be delivered from 2008, ranging from $200 billion to $400 billion.

Three JSF versions -- capable of either short-takeoff-and-vertical landing (STOVL) for aircraft carrier deployment or conventional takeoff and landing -- will be ground attack aircraft that use stealth technology to evade enemy air defences. JSF will search for, detect, track and destroy ground targets close-up or at standoff ranges; day or night and in bad weather.

The aircraft is powered by Pratt & WhitneyÕs 40,000 lb (18,140kg) thrust JSF119 engine and a Rolls-Royce fan engine for STOVL flight. 

Armaments can be carried internally to take maximum advantage of the JSFÕs advanced stealth capabilities. Externally, four wing stations can carry more than 10,000 lb (4,536kg) of advanced weapons. Two of the stations can accommodate additional fuel tanks. An internal cannon can also be carried for additional firepower.

Lockheed MartinÕs X-35C Naval carrier-based variant of JSF recently completed 33 flights in 29 days. BoeingÕs conventional takeoff and landing prototype, the X-32A completed flight testing in February after 66 flights and more than 50 flight hours. Its X-32B Òjump-jetÓprototype successfully completed its first in-flight conversion from conventional to STOVL flight mode and back again on April 13. 

International participation by the five European nations which plan to participate in the programmeÕs engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase is one of the stronger forces for keeping the programme together in the face of close scrutiny by DoD. In January the British government committed $2 billion as a Òcollaborative partnerÓ to the $25 billion next phase of the EMD, which will create or sustain some 5,000 jobs in 70 UK companies. Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Italy are also expected to join the EMD phase.

The Joint Strike Fighter is BritainÕs preferred option for two new aircraft carriers that will come into service in 2012 and 2014. Although Britain is investing billions of dollars in developing and producing the pan-European Eurofighter along with Germany, Italy and Spain, London has angered some European partners by deciding that an industrial stake in a more than 3,000-JSF production run would be more valuable than a roughly 40 percent stake in a Eurofighter run of about 700 aircraft.

Other countries which are participants at varying levels in the programme include Belgium, Canada, Israel, Japan, Norway, Singapore and Turkey -- all with an eye toward acquiring the aircraft to someday replace their existing jets.
/ENDS
Sources: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Reuters, Associated Press