Norwegian Industry Wants Sweden's Gripen Jets- Report

The best decision for the Norwegian industry would be the purchase of Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets and not US F-35 Lightning II, a common report by two industry organisations and a labour union showed on Wednesday.>> The Norwegian Defence and Security Industries Association (FSi), trade union Landsorganisasjonen (LO) and Norwegian Society of Engineers (NITO), with a total one million members, recommended in the report the authorities to invest in 48 new JAS 39 Gripen jets instead of in US F-35 Lightning II, know as Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), made by Lockheed Martin Corp. Gripen is manufactured by Swedish defence and aerospace group Saab AB.>> Gripen is the best alternative from the industrial perspective, FSi administrative director Torbjorn Svensgard told Norwegian daily Dagsavisen today.>> Gripen has already identified much more projects in Norway, to take part in, compared with JSF, and these projects are spread across the whole country. A JSF choice will have negative consequences for the expansion and further development of the Norwegian defence industry, according to the report.>> If Norway chooses Gripen, this will enable large production, as well as research and development, and more work places, FSi said.>> Although the report is important, the LO union has not taken a final position in the discussion yet, LO's leader Roar Flathen said.>> Norway's government is due to make a decision about the fighters before Christmas.>>> Click herehere for the report (in Norwegian, 21 pages in PDF format) on the FSI website.