US tells Dutch gov official, JSF under threat.

Translated from Dutch:

http://www.nu.nl/news/636342/22/Bouw_JSF_in_gevaar.html

WASHINGTON – The development of the JSF, in which the Netherlands have also invested 857 million euro, might be cut short. The Pentagon has serious plans to stop development of this plane in part or even completely. Budget cuts at the US MoD are the reason for this.

The American secretary of defence has told this to his Dutch collegue, Cees van der Knaap, according to todays edition of De Telegraaf. A spokesperson of the Dutch ministry of economic affairs has confirmed that the Americans might pull out.

The American reconsideration on the JSF project is the consequence of budget cuts for the defence department. The expendiures in Iraq, unforeseen expenses due to the hurricane and dissappointing interest for the JSF are part of he reason. Earlier Norway had announced it was reconsidering its participation on the project, because Norwegian companies where not getting the expected compensation orders.

The Netherlands has reserved 857 million euros for the JSF project. In the 2de kamer (comparable with house of commons) the opinions on the JSF where divided. In the end the “house of commons” choose to join the poject, expecting compensation orders of 8 to 10 billion euros.

The Americans will decide on the JSF program late february.