The Minister is scheduled to see United States National Security Advisor Jim Jones and Senator John McCain. Topics on the agenda include the U.S. and Norway’s role in Afghanistan and NATO, as well as Norway’s announced purchase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft.
Minister Faremo will meet with Lockheed Martin leadership at its headquarters in Fort Worth, TX, to discuss the Joint Strike Fighter program. Ms. Faremo will be accompanied by Minister of Trade and Industry Trond Giske in Fort Worth. An important goal for the two cabinet members is to facilitate trade between Norway and the United States.
With Norway’s heavy investment in the JSF, the government wants to ensure that Norwegian companies are given access to the U.S. defense industry sector and be allowed to compete fairly as subcontractors in the development of the fighter aircraft. Faremo told news agency NTB that procurement of the aircrafts is dependent on finding a satisfactory industrial package for the Norwegian industrial sector, and that she sees great opportunities in such industry cooperation.
While in the U.S., the Minister will also meet with Norwegian officers stationed at NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT) in Norfolk, VA, as well as Norwegians training to become fighter pilots at Sheppard Air Force Base.