Malaysia, F-18 und Gegengesch

[N5528P]

You've heard about guns and butter. How about plants and planes?
17.04. 2006

You've heard about guns and butter. How about plants and planes? - Combat planes, that is.

Since 2001, Boeing Co.'s defense unit has taken a keen interest in the
development of Malaysia's plant science industry. Boeing hopes its support will help clinch a deal with Malaysia to buy its St. Louis-built F/A-18 Super Hornet jets. Any deal to upgrade Malaysia's fleet of tactical fighter jets must include biotech know-how, too.

The requirement is part of what the U.S. defense industry calls an "offset." In exchange for buying U.S. weapons, foreign governments typically require some sort of industrial compensation from the defense contractors as a condition of purchase. Last week, a delegation of 16 senior government officials from Malaysia visited St. Louis to learn more about the area's biotechnology efforts. The trip included a tour of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

Malaysia is considering a purchase of eight Super Hornets in a contract that could be worth several hundred million dollars when the cost of radar, engines and other equipment and support is included. Boeing late last year provided Malaysia with an initial price estimate on the planes and remains in active discussions to get a deal, company spokesman Damien Mills said.

The U.S. Navy currently uses the Super Hornet, a defense program that supports about 5,000 jobs in St. Louis. To date, the Boeing plane has not landed an international contract, but it is being considered by several countries. Many countries that buy U.S.-made fighter jets require offsets that include technology transfers and co-production of the plane in their country. That's why critics of offsets don't like them -- they say the deals give away too much home-grown technology and erode the U.S. industrial base at the expense of defense workers.

The potential offset deal with Boeing is looking for a number of things
unrelated to weapons systems. Under a contract with the Danforth Center, Boeing has funded a study to define the biotech opportunity in Malaysia.
Boeing spokesman Mills said the company can't release the amount of money it is spending on the study because it considers that proprietary information. Karel Schubert, vice president for scientific partnerships at the Danforth Center, called Boeing's approach a new model for offset agreements. "We feel excited about being in position as groundbreakers," Schubert said.

He said Malaysia is interested in boosting rice production, developing biofuels and studying herbal plants to find new medical treatments. The country's offset requirement also includes development of information technology, Schubert said. With help from Boeing, the Danforth Center hopes its study can identify ways to spur Malaysia's future economic growth. There's no guarantee Boeing will land an order for Super Hornets, though. International fighter jet competitions can take several years before a winner is declared, and even incumbents can be upset. Malaysia currently flies Boeing's F-18 Hornet, a precursor to the Super Hornet.

In 2004, U.S. defense contractors reported 40 new offset agreements with 18 countries, according to the latest report by the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security. The new offset agreements totaled $4.3 billion and were linked to defense contracts worth $4.9 billion, or 88 percent of the value of the goods exported by U.S. defense companies, the study said. Official U.S. government policy frowns on defense-related offset deals, calling them "economically inefficient and trade-distorting." U.S. defense contractors see them as a marketplace reality amid fierce competition with European firms to sell weapons internationally.

Originalartikel zu finden unter: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/story/9F82CB954D4FEE4386257154000A0C4D?OpenDocument