차세대 전투기 F35에 대한 소식입니다.

 

 

 

전세계의 차세대 전투기로 일찍부터 낙점되었던 F35는 기체와 생산 모든 부분에서 심각한 문제를 가지고 있습니다.

그런데도 유럽과 러시아 기종은 대안취급도 못받으면서 울며겨자 먹기 식으로 F35로 이동하는 모양입니다.

 

(자료 원문은 모두 가장 아래에 있습니다.)

노르웨이 정부가 최근에 52대 구입결정을 하고 6대를 선구입 절차에 들어갔다고 합니다. 2014~2015년에 4대를 먼저 구입하고 48대는 2017~2024년에 구입할 예정이었는데 2대를 더 조기구입한다고 합니다.

노르웨이도 노후화된 F16을 대체하기 위한 것인데, 갈수록 늘어가는 F35의 황당한 몸값에 추가 예산을 준비했다고 합니다.


미국은 6월에 60대(90억 달러)를 주문할 예정이라고 합니다. 록히드는 총 수주양을 71대로 잡고 있는 것을 보면 노르웨이 6대 발주는 사실로 보입니다.

미국이 2001년에 잡았던 계획에서는 총 2,443대 (2330억 달러)였는데 이게 무려 70%나 폭증해서 3960억 달러가 되었다고 합니다.

펜타곤에서는 예산절벽에서 구입비용을 보호하느라 별 수단을 다 쓰는 모양입니다.


한편으로는 이 기회를 놓치고 있는 장사 안되는 집안 이야기입니다. 

 

유로파이터 컨소시엄의 신임 CEO Alberto Jose Gutierrez Moreno가 글로벌 파트너십을 늘려가겠다고 소감을 밝혔습니다.

한국을 포함한 구매고객에게 파트너 관계로 나가고 싶다는 뜻인데... 안타깝게도 한국은 아예 불가능에 가깝지 않을까 합니다.

최근 북 위기에 보여준 정부의 한심스러운 수준이나 뿌리깊은 군의 주종관계를 보면요.


러시아는 고객 층이 너무 얇고 돈없는 국가들이 대부분이어서 점차 잊혀져 가는군요.

 

Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) may receive a U.S. order in June for as many as 60 F-35 jets, consolidating the sixth and seven production contracts for the costliest weapons system, according to the Pentagon’s program manager

The contract may be valued at about $9 billion, according to a person familiar with negotiations between the Pentagon and Lockheed who declined to be named discussing the private talks. The number of F-35s may rise to as many as 71 if orders from other nations are included.

“We believe we can have a negotiation settlement” by May 31 “followed by final contract award in June,” Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan, manager of the Pentagon’s F-35 program, said in prepared testimony today for a Senate Armed Services Committee panel.

The Pentagon has worked to protect the F-35 from the federal spending cuts called sequestration. Some of the money for the next group of fighters already has been obligated, sparing those funds from the across-the board reductions. Other funds may be subject to the cuts, which Air Force, Navy and Pentagon officials continue to assess.

The F-35’s estimated cost for a fleet of 2,443 aircraft has risen to $395.7 billion, up 70 percent from $233 billion in 2001 in current dollars, according to the Pentagon.

Bogdan, who has pressed Lockheed to do a better job containing costs for the F-35, said the Bethesda, Maryland-based company will absorb a greater share of any overruns than under previous contracts.

The Norwegian government has confirmed plans to acquire up to 52 Lockheed Martin F-35A combat aircraft, and submitted a formal request to the nation's parliament for its first six operational examples.

The administration in Oslo has already committed to buying four conventional take-off and landing aircraft, to be delivered in 2014 and 2015 for use during training activities in the USA. on 26 April, defence minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen outlined its fresh request to buy 48 more, for delivery between 2017 and 2024.

Under the proposal, six aircraft would be handed over to Norway each year throughout the delivery period, although this will be subject to the receipt of annual approvals from parliament.

"By making this commitment we are able to proceed with our plans to replace the [Lockheed] F-16 fleet around 2020," Strøm-Erichsen says. "We have concluded convincingly that the F-35 is the only aircraft that fulfils our future operational requirements. Our F-16s are among the world's most capable aircraft of their kind, but they are also among the world's oldest."

Flightglobal's MiliCAS database records the Royal Norwegian Air Force's 47 F-16AM fighters and 10 BM-model trainers as having entered use between 1980 and 1989.

The government has valued its initial acquisition request at NKr12.9 billion ($2.2 billion), with this including the first six aircraft, plus initial actions to procure "additional equipment and services, including integration work, training and simulators". Also included is an "uncertainty allowance" contingency worth a further NKr3 billion.

Alberto Jose Gutierrez Moreno has been named as the new chief executive of the Eurofighter consortium, with the current Airbus Military executive to succeed Enzo Casolini in the post as of 1 June 2013

"My key priorities will focus on competitiveness, campaigns and capabilities in order to make Eurofighter Typhoon even more successful in the world market," Gutierrez says. "Starting from a European partnership, we need to move forward into a more global partnership and invite new customer nations to join this leading edge programme."