http://www.f-16.net/news_article2053.html
Netherlands first to sign on for next phase of F-35 program
November 16, 2006 (by Lieven Dewitte) - The Netherlands yesterday
became the first of the F-35 partner nations to extend its
participation into the production and support phase of the Joint
Strike Fighter program.
Netherlands Deputy Secretary for Defence Cees van der Knaap and
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England signed the
Production, Sustainment and Follow-On Development Memorandum of
Understanding (PSFD MOU), which extends cooperation in the program
beyond the current System Development and Demonstration (SDD)
phase.
"Because of the extremely hard work of a very dedicated team over a
couple of years, the Netherlands and the United States were able to
take this very historic step toward building a powerful
international coalition," said Brig. Gen. C.R. Davis, F-35
Lightning II program executive officer.
"This is the culmination of years of hard work on the part of many
people, and is an outstanding example of teamwork and partnership
between two strong allies," said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin
executive vice president and general manager of F-35 Program
Integration. "That partnership exists on several levels, certainly
between the military operators who will employ this phenomenal
system, and between the government leaders and industry teammates
who will ensure its enduring success over time. This is a great day
for the F-35 program."
"We are making sure that the F-35 Lightning II brings profound
improvements in capability to the Netherlands and the other F-35
operators around the world, while at the same time energizing the
manufacturing and technology sectors of those countries'
economies," said Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin executive vice
president and F-35 program general manager. "This is an
international project, with international design input,
international components and systems, and new levels of
interoperability that will ensure mission success, time after
time."
Once the PSFD MOU signing process is complete, the partners will
cooperatively develop, produce, test, train and operate the F-35
Lightning II. The Netherlands joined as an SDD partner in June 2002
and has been involved in the JSF program since 1997. The other F-35
partner nations -- the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, Canada,
Australia, Denmark and Norway -- are expected to sign the PSFD MOU
by the end of December.