Norwegian and US defense officials have completed some classic bargaining involving huge sums of money, according to an announcement Friday from Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide.
He told reporters that Norway had agreed to move forward with ordering its new generation of fighter jets, the F-35 from the US, while US officials had agreed to support integration of Norwegian-developed missiles called the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) on the F-35s.
Eide said Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg could thus prepare its last phase in the development of the JSM. He said the final confirmation came from US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Thursday, the same day that the Norwegian Parliament approved purchase of the F-35s.
They’ll represent one of the largest public sector investments in Norwegian history, even though their final costs are still unknown. Missile orders from Norway, however, can help ease the price shock, since sales potential for the Norwegian weapon system is set at as much as NOK 25 billion.
Views and News staff
