Dutch Parliament wants to cancel first JSF aircraft

Dutch Parliament wants to cancel first JSF aircraft

Dutch Lower House wants to cancel the first ordered F-35 aircraft and to stop their participation in the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation stage of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF/F-35). Also the Request for Proposal and complete evaluation of the replacement of the F-16 has to be redone prior to a final decision in 2012, because the price estimates in the Request for Information of 2002 and the Supplemental Request for Information of 2008 as offered by Lockheed Martin are unreliable, due to the outcome of the reports of the US Joint Estimate Team and US GAO in 2009. A proposal by the Labour Party was accepted Thursday night with the support of other parties SP (Socialist Party), Green Left, the right winged PVV (Freedom Party of Geert Wilders), Liberal Democrats D66 and Party for the Animals with a majority of 79 votes against 71 votes.

The decision of the Dutch Parliament means that The Netherlands would cancel the first F-35A aircraft from the LRIP3 batch, ordered in May 2009 with a special clause that the money had to be paid back when the Parliament would take a negative decision about the next aircraft in 2010. Also their will be no contract for a second F-35A aircraft from the LRIP4, the prepayment of longlead items has to paid back and the participation in the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (MOU signed in May 2008) will be ended.

After the Dutch cabinet felt by the controversial Afghanistan mission, last February, there is a temporary government until next elections in June 2010. In a reaction the Minister of Defence Van Middelkoop said that in his opinion the decision of the Parliament was unacceptable, because the Cabinet had decided any decisions on this controversial subject until the next elections in June 2010. Moreover, in his opinion it is inappropriate that a temporary government should take an irreversible decision. Minister of Defence Van Middelkoop accused the Labour Party of election rhetoric.

However Labour MP Angelien Eijsink noted that based on new information, available since months, about delays, about the Nunn-McCurdy breach, about the delay of the IOT&E by 2 years until 2015, about poor progress in testing it would be irresponsible to continue with the project. Labour MP mentioned that the Parliament was still waiting for the promised, guaranteed price of the LRIP4 plane. Also promised data about the noise level is not available yet, an important issue in a densily populated country like The Netherlands. Next the industrial business case failed by lack of orders, much lower than expected in 2002 and poor international contracts for the F35 aircraft. The Labour Party wants to continue the participation in the F-35 SDD stage, as signed in the 2002 MOU-SDD.

Other parties SP, GreenLeft, D66 and PVV also want to end the SDD participation. In 2002 The Netherlands signed a MOU of a Level 2 SDD participation and invested US$ 800 million in the project. Christian Democratic Party (CDA) and Liberal-conservatives (VVD) and the Christian Union (CU) were seriously irritated by the Labour Party and were prepared to wait until this information would be available.

Johan Boeder

Note de dedefensa.org

Notre ami JOBO est le meilleur analyste indépendant du programme JSF, et particulièrement du programme JSF dans le contexte de l’engagement hollandais dans le programme. Il est régulièrement consulté par les commissions intéressées du Parlement hollandais. Il a réalisé un rapport sur les prévisions de vente du JSF (voir le 27 octobre 2010) qui constitue un document international de référence sur le sujet.