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Eurofighter visits Norway
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In January 2007, “Norway Signs on to JSF Production Phase, But Keeps Options Open” quoted Norwegian Defence Minister Anne-Grete Strom-Erichsen:

“The negotiations with JAS Gripen and Eurofighter which commenced early January 2007 are well on track… 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.”

Negotiations with respect to the JAS-39N Gripen option bore fruit in April 2007. Now it’s Eurofighter’s turn…

On May 15, 2007, the Eurofighter partnership of Alenia Aeronautica (Italy), BAE Systems (United Kingdom), EADS CASA (Spain), and EADS Germany announced a Letter of Agreement with the Norwegian Ministry of Defence that could be worth up to EUR 75 million over the next 4 years.

The 2007 agreement sets out the principles to be applied to industrial contracts, and includes a funding commitment from the Norwegian Ministry of Defense to cover the development contracts between Norwegian and Eurofighter’s partner companies. It extends a 2003 Industrial Participation Agreement worth EUR 35.7 million, which covered 10 Eurofighter development projects with 6 Norwegian companies – including work on target imagining, advanced radar technology, noise suppression, 3D Archiving et. al.

Eurofighter GmbH CEO Aloysius Rauen commented at the signing ceremony:

“This new agreement will also provide vital continuity to Norwegian industry in preparation for the potential NOK 40 Billion which would accrue as part of the industrial package associated with a Norwegian choice of Eurofighter as it’s F-16 replacement. This industrial work would form a substantial part of the Eurofighter package for Norway, combining Eurofighter Typhoon’s unmatched operational capability with a comprehensive training and through life support package.”

The Eurofighter Typhoon remains locked in combat with Saab/BAE’s JAS-39 Gripen, and with the Lockheed-led Joint Strike Fighter consortium’s F-35A Lightning II, for the country’s F-16 replacement contract.

UPDATE: EADS has withdrawn the Eurofighter from the Norwegian and Danish competitions. The Norwegian competition is now a dogfight between the JAS-39N Gripen, and the F-35A Lightning II.

Additional Readings

• Eurofight GmbH (May 15/07) – Eurofighter signs new Cooperation Agreement with Norway

• DID (May 2/07) – Norway Signs Development Agreement for JAS-39N Gripen. Part of the government’s commitment to provide some support and industrial foundation for each participant.

• Norwegian Ministry of Defence (Jan 26/07) – Industripakkane i søkelyset. Includes presentations from the contenders. The Ministry now has an English translation of Espen Bareth Eide’s speech to this “Combat Aircraft Seminar.”