U.S., U.K. Reach JSF Technology Transfer Agreement

Source URL: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,108100,00.html
Posted at: http://www.air-attack/com/news/news_article/1926

U.S. and British defense officials have inked a new agreement on the transfer of sensitive technologies for the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, removing an irritant in the close relationship between the two allies that has rankled both sides for months.

At a July 18 meeting in London, Kenneth Krieg, the Pentagon's acquisition executive, and Sir Peter Spencer, the U.K. Ministry of Defence's chief of procurement, signed an agreement setting forth a statement of principles for Britain to achieve operational sovereignty of any Joint Strike Fighter aircraft it may acquire, according to Defense Department officials.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence wants access to technologies and secrets that will give it the means to maintain and upgrade its notional JSF fleet independent of the United States; the Defense Department in recent months has resisted releasing the technologies Britain seeks.

Aviation experts say the sticking points in deliberations likely have been British access to stealth technology, software source code underpinning the aircraft's operations, and agreements on follow-on development of after-market capabilities that U.K. firms could manufacture and market around the world.

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