Norway authorizes orders for the first two of 52 jet fighters from USA for a total of $10 billion; Taiwan concerned that U.N. Trade Talks could cripple U.S. arms sales to Taiwan
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  • According to reports, Norway said on June 15, 2012 that it had authorized orders for the first two of dozens of F-35 fighter jets it plans to buy from the United States as part of its largest-ever government spending project. The government said in a statement, “Norway today commenced the largest public procurement project in its history,” Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide hailed the 60-billion-kroner ($10 billion) deal for a total of 52 jet fighters. “The F-35, which Norway selected in 2008, represents a completely new generation of combat aircraft that will form a corner stone of the future Norwegian Armed Forces,” he said in the statement. 1

    In another development, according to reports, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed concerns over scheduled negotiations in July for a new United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that could cripple U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The U.S. is Taiwan’s sole source for sophisticated arms, such as fighter jets and command-and-control systems. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed all overseas offices to gather data on ATT developments, said Lily Hsu, the ministry’s director-general of international organizations. The ATT would require signatories to control their imports and exports of arms and not to circumvent the import control systems of other countries. 2

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