April 26, 2002. Copyright 2002. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

Dutch decision time for Joint Strike Fighter

LONDON, April 26, Graphic News: The Dutch parliament failed for the second time to reach a decision on a controversial government proposal to join the U.S.-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project after a tied vote on Thursday.

Parliament split down the middle on the proposal with 74 deputies in favour of the project and 74 opposed -- the same outcome as in an earlier vote on Tuesday.

Since the vote remains tied, the outgoing cabinet will have the power to give the green light to the Dutch participation in the project on Friday.

Doubts over the cost of the project have grown in the run up to the Dutch election on May 15. The three-party coalition quit over a disastrous peacekeeping mission in Bosnia that failed to prevent the Srebrenica massacre in 1995 -- Europe's worst atrocity since World War Two.

In February, the Dutch cabinet asked deputies to approve its plans to contribute as much as $800 million up front towards the cost of developing the next generation fighter jet in a project led by the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin. Dutch firms Stork and Philips Electronics stand to receive contracts for the combat jet, with Stork estimating it could receive up to $5 billion in orders over a period of 25 years.

The F-35 is being built by a three-company consortium led by U.S. aerospace giant Lockheed Martin. Its partners are Northrop Grumman and BritainÕs BAE. The consortium beat off fierce competition from Boeing to win an $18.9 billion development contract last October.

The three largest sections of work will be divided between the three main partners. Lockheed will make the front section, Northrop Grumman the mid section, and BAE Systems the rear fuselage, including the tail. Each of the fuselage sections will arrive in Texas ÒstuffedÓ -- complete with all wiring and components, and requiring only bolting together.

Different versions of the Òkit planeÓ are intended to replace the U.S. Air ForceÕs fleet of F-16s, the NavyÕs F-14s and F/A-18s and F/A-18s of the Marine Corps. It is also BritainÕs preferred option, replacing ageing Harrier jump-jets, for two new aircraft carriers that will come into service in 2012 and 2014.
/ENDS

Source: Jane's Defence Weekly, Associated Press, Reuters