En d\u00e9cembre 2007, les Europ\u00e9ens (essentiellement les Allemands) du consortium Eurofighter (EADS) annon\u00e7aient qu’ils retiraient le Typhoon<\/em> de la comp\u00e9tition norv\u00e9gienne pour un nouvel avion de combat. (Cette comp\u00e9tition est d\u00e9sormais r\u00e9duite au Gripen<\/em> su\u00e9dois et au JSF pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 par les USA.) Les commentaires qui accompagnaient ce retrait, y compris venus d’Eurofighter, indiquaient que sa cause \u00e9tait la certitude acquise par Eurofighter que le choix norv\u00e9gien \u00e9tait d\u00e9j\u00e0 fait en faveur du JSF\/F-35. Gerard O’Dwyer, de Defense News<\/em>, rapporte, le 14 janvier<\/a>, les inqui\u00e9tudes sinon l’irritation des Am\u00e9ricains, qui semblent penser, eux, que la Norv\u00e8ge pr\u00e9f\u00e8re le Gripen<\/em> au JSF. Cela est visible, sinon audible, dans une partie du commentaire rapportant une intervention de l’ambassadeur US en Norv\u00e8ge.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00abBenson Whitney, the U.S. ambassador to Norway, told Norway’s public broadcaster NRK on Jan. 2 that Norway risked losing its present high level of military collaboration with the United States if the country chose the JAS Gripen over Lockheed Martin’s F-35. Whitney said buying F-35s would best guarantee the high level of military and political collaboration between Norway and the United States.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00bbIt is, of course, up to the Stortinget<\/em> [Norway’s parliament], the government and the people of Norway to decide about defense, and relations with the United States, Whitney said. Choosing a Swedish fighter may mean less contact between the Norwegian and American military. Hundreds of Norwegian pilots have trained in America, and dozens of Americans have come to Norway to train with Norwegian pilots we don’t want to lose that contact.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00bbMost Norwegian fighter pilots, who fly F-16s, have done their training in the United States.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00bbIf the future fighter is Swedish, Norwegian pilots will train in Sweden rather than the United States, Whitney said.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \tUne autre partie du commentaire pr\u00e9sente le cas du Gripen<\/em> en expliquant ce qui serait sa fortune pr\u00e9sente par un contexte plus vaste d’accord entre la Norv\u00e8ge et la Su\u00e8de. O’Dwyer s’appuie essentiellement sur une source au minist\u00e8re de la d\u00e9fense norv\u00e9gien.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00abWe are likely to see a landmark agreement between Norway and Sweden in 2008 that involves an unprecedented level of collaboration between the defense forces of each country, the Norwegian MoD source said. Interoperability of equipment has been a mainstay of the ongoing talks.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00bbThe potential cooperation with the Swedish Air Force has U.S. officials worried about the F-35’s chances in the Norwegian competition.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00bbThere has been a significant uplift in activity by Saab and Sweden to play the Nordic card over recent months, the source said. This Nordic card envisages a scenario where two or more Nordic nations, most probably Sweden and Norway, will establish a common fighter unit to police their national airspace or participate in international operations.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00bbThe source said the potential deal was one reason the Eurofighter group withdrew its fighter bid in late December.<\/em> () Ironically, the Eurofighter consortium felt that a two-horse race had developed between the F-35 Lightning II and the Gripen and sensed that it was pointless remaining in the process, the source said. Eurofighter even suggested that the F-35 Lightning II was being favored by Norway. It seems that the U.S. believes Norway may opt for the Gripen.<\/em>\u00bb<\/p>\n<\/p>\n