9월 17일자 Aviation Week & Space Technology 기사인데 F-35 개발에 돈을 낸 나라들과 옵저버인 이스라엘과 싱가포르가 이번 달에 모여 F-35 구매에 대해서 회의를 하고, 이스라엘과 싱가포르가 살 F-35의 사양은 올해 말까지 결정될 것이라고 합니다.
이 두 나라는 2000년에 뒤에 WSO가 타는 거의 똑같은 사양의 2인승 F-16을 주문한 바 있고 (이스라엘 F-16I 102대, 싱가포르 F-16D Block 52 Plus 20대), 똑같은 G550 CAEW 조기경보기를 2003년에 주문한 바 있습니다. 싱가포르 F-15SG의 경우 엔진과 레이다는 이스라엘 F-15I와 다르지만 전자전 시스템은 F-15I에 들어간 이스라엘 제품일 가능성이 큽니다.
어쩌면 싱가포르가 살 F-35에도 이스라엘제 전자전 장비가 들어갈지도?
Multinational Team Considering Early JSF Buy Numbers
Aviation Week & Space Technology
09/17/2007, page 35
A team of top officers from Lockheed Martin and nine partner nations in the $40-billion Joint Strike Fighter development program plan to meet for the first time this month to begin discussions on a coordinated purchase of F-35s designed to stabilize production rates and cost.
The partner nations have agreed to varying levels of development funding, though they’ve not yet committed to production numbers.
Flyaway price relies heavily on economies of scale. Lockheed Martin officials hope through the so-called “Lightning Strike” effort to get a firm commitment from each country.
Negotiations would continue with each individual country on the particulars of their buys, but the aggregate will factor into flyaway cost.
The company hopes to get commitments for at least 100 aircraft through 2011, and for another 1,300 through 2018 (including 800 for the U.S.).
Though not part of the JSF development program, Israel and Singapore are also in talks to purchase the single-engine fighter. Dan Crowley, Lockheed Martin JSF vice president, says the configuration for those two countries should be finalized by year-end.
The international team is expected to report its findings in December, Crowley says.
