Saab sweetens Norwegian collaboration offer

STOCKHOLM/SWEDEN: Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab AB said Friday it has identified more than 150 potential collaboration projects if the company wins the bidding war to replace Norway's 48 aging F-16 fighters.

The total value of the projects was not disclosed but Saab, which makes the Gripen fighter jets, said it would correspond to ``at least 180 percent'' of the offset value of the aircraft over a period of 10 to 15 years.
Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government; and Saab, with the Swedish government, delivered their offers on providing new aircraft to the Norwegian Defense Ministry on April 28. The bid details have been withheld.

The U.S.-led Joint Strike Fighter consortium and Sweden's Saab AB, which makes the JAS Gripen fighter jet, are competing for a contract worth at least 60 billion kroner (US$11.7 billion) to replace Norway's fighter jets.

The Norwegian government has said in addition to operational ability and costs of the aircraft, substantial subcontracts for Norwegian companies to supply parts for the winning jet will be a key consideration.

A decision on which jet will replace the old U.S.-made F-16s could come as early as this year, and the new fighters would be phased in between 2016 and 2020.