Bush, Blair Resolve Dispute over Joint Strike Fighter

Posted on: May. 27th, 2006 || Source: defensenews.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

Bush, Blair Resolve Dispute over Joint Strike Fighter

The United States and Britain announced agreement May 26 to end a long-running dispute over technology that had threatened plans to cooperate in developing a new-generation Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

A statement by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair on the final day of their two-day summit appeared to put to rest a row over British access to codes used in U.S. avionics systems aboard the F-35 fighters.

Britain, angered by U.S. reluctance to share the codes, had been preparing to pull out of the project and the planned purchase of 150 aircraft at $104 million apiece.

Bush and Blair said they agreed that Britain “will have the ability to successfully operate, upgrade, employ, and maintain the Joint Strike Fighter such that the UK retains operational sovereignty over the aircraft.”

U.S. officials said the move would allow the British to make their own adaptations to the JSF without having to call in U.S. technicians.

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