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First JSF fighter jet will cost €110mMonday 20 April 2009 The first test Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) jet will cost almost just under €110m which is within budget, says junior defence minister Jack de Vries in a letter to parliament on Monday, reports the Trouw. The letter comes two days before MPs are to decide whether or not to approve the purchase of two JSF aircraft. Selecting a replacement for the defence department’s current fleet of fighter jets is a long-running and controversial issue within the government. Until now the actual price of the JSF has been unclear, reports the Trouw. Clarity on price is a prerequisite for two of the three coalition parties, Labour and the orthodox ChritenUnie, to vote in favour of the acquisition, the paper says. The JSF is made by US manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Saab is a contender for the contract. MPs will decide on Wednesday whether to buy the first of the two test JSFs which will be used for a series of extensive trials. The second will not be ordered until next year, says the Trouw. © DutchNews.nl
I wonder who is going to attack us , do we really need these. Should the money be better invested in the infrastructure and ensuring we all retire before 65. By Sam Ward | April 21, 2009 8:02 AM Sam, A quite reasonable question to ask if you are into such things - being attacked that is. However, the idea is to have capable Defence assets to discourage those who would not to think about doing such things - "If you want peace, prepare for war" Vegetius 390 AD Now the key to this approach is having the right capabilities and, sadly, the Joint Strike Fighter won't fit the bill and will cost a hell of a lot more than something that would. By Peter Goon | April 22, 2009 8:53 AM
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If the €110m figure for this first JSF does not include the relevant costs contained in the Production, Sustainment and Follow-On Development (PSFD) MoU to which the Netherlands are a signatory, then the overall program costs to be borne by the people of the Netherlands is already being understated by some €450m, well before the concerns of the Court of Audit as outline at http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/02/jsf_costs_not_transparent_says.php are taken into consideration.
By Peter Goon | April 21, 2009 2:47 AM