A New U.s. Fighter Jet Could Get A Big Boost If The British Select It

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s Joint Strike Fighter – the expensive replacement proposed for three existing planes – may get a boost from America’s British allies, who are considering it as an alternative to European fighters.

If the British do pick the American plane to replace their aging Tornados early in the next century, it could save American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

Lawmakers have been searching for ways to deal with the bills the Pentagon will face just after 2000 when it will attempt to produce three fighters at the same time, the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-22 stealth fighter and the F/A-18E/F. The combined cost of producing the Joint Strike Fighter and the other two planes has been estimated at $400 billion.

The sale of hundreds of fighters to the Royal Air Force could help because the added planes would help lower the unit cost of each plane manufactured, and because the British would help shoulder some development expenses. The project is estimated to cost $350 billion through the early decades of the next century.

The British Defense Ministry, under the direction of Prime Minister Tony Blair, is looking at the proposed American plane as part of a two-year study on fielding Britain’s next-generation fighter. Several European competitors will also be considered. The British study is expected to conclude in October 1999.

In the end, Blair will be forced to make a difficult choice between boosting British involvement in an American fighter program or turning to his European Union partners.

“The stakes for Blair are very high here,” said one Pentagon official. “If he goes with us, there could be some substantial fallout in Europe.”

Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.), who chairs the House National Security subcommittee on military research and development, said a major British commitment could boost the program’s popularity in Congress.

“With the cost concerns that we have that could really be a savior for us,” said Weldon. “I have suggested that one of the ways to tackle our cost problems would be to get more allied involvement, specifically the Brits.”

British proponents of the Joint Strike Fighter argue that it will allow the Royal Air Force to operate more closely with the U.S. Air Force, while cutting costs since the Pentagon is planning to spend a substantial sum developing the new aircraft. The British would also save in production costs; the more planes sold, the lower the costs.

The Joint Strike Fighter is intended by the Pentagon to replace the Navy F-14 Tomcat, Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier, which can take off and land vertically, and the Air Force F-16. The British Royal Navy already plans to purchase between 60 and 90 of the fighters for use on aircraft carriers.

Lockheed Martin Corp. is competing with Boeing Co. to win the lucrative Joint Strike Fighter contract.

Lockheed recently took on British Aerospace as a partner in the program. British Aerospace was expected to play an important role in helping Lockheed field the Harrier version of the aircraft because of its experience in producing the current Harrier with McDonnell Douglas Corp.

The involvement of British Aerospace could be even more important in persuading British defense officials to select the Joint Strike Fighter to replace the Tornado.

“The Brits won’t start development of an all new attack bird on their own,” said William Dane, an analyst with Forecast International in Newtown, Pa. “All things considered, a version of the JSF is probably now the best bet for replacing the Tornado.”

Weldon said Washington should be prepared to allow for substantial British involvement in the program if it selects the Joint Strike Fighter to replace the Tornado.

He said that might include allowing the British version of the aircraft to be produced in the United Kingdom.

“From time to time we take a very parochial view in purchasing weapons systems,” said Weldon. “Congress always wants it both ways. We want all the planes for our forces built here, and we want the foreign nations to buy planes that are built here. You can’t always have it both ways.”