The JSF under the magnifying glass of accountants

(BRUSSELS2) The new American JSF / F35 fighter plane that the Netherlands must acquire will be subject to scrutiny by the National Court of Auditors. More precisely, the Dutch accountants will examine the financial consequences of stopping participation in the development of this combat aircraft. The Netherlands planned to order 85 copies of this aircraft. But only two of them have, for the moment, been ordered "firm". The first is currently, very discreetly, being tested on a base in Texas, in Fort Worth.

Certainly a parliamentary majority expressed itself, at the beginning of July, for the stop of the program. The PvDA Labor swung the parties opposed to this purchase; after having dithered for years: "against" at the beginning, then "for" the purchase of the first test device, when they were in coalition with the Christian Democrats, then again "against" when buying the second device. But the minority government (Liberals of the VVD and Christian Democrats of the CDA) has not, for the moment, intended to give up this equipment which must come to relay an F-16 at the end of its life and from which the Dutch aeronautical industry expects significant benefits (about 1200 people work on the program). The first devices purchased cost 158 ​​million euros (against 98 million euros initially planned). And the Dutch budget has already invested 800 million euros in the program.

The question is therefore crucial. Should we stop this program and thus lose not only the investment made and the future benefits, not to mention that it will be necessary to budget for the replacement of the F-16s? Or should we continue despite everything, at a key moment, when Dutch Defense must save 1 billion euros over 4 years, or even more (if other budgetary restriction plans are launched in the future), and carries 12.000 of its "employees"...? This question that the Dutch ask themselves, many courts of auditors in most European countries should ask themselves...

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