MOSCOW, Nov 21-RIA Novosti, Nikolai Protopopov. Industrial espionage, political pressure and outright blackmail-Washington goes to great lengths to force its partners to buy exclusively American-made military equipment. In Europe, another scandal is breaking out-it was unexpectedly revealed that the decision to supply F-35 Lightning fighters for the Danish air force could have been influenced by US intelligence. About how to understand market relations and free competition across the ocean — in the material RIA Novosti.
Spy lobby
According to Danish media, the Americans spied on the Swedish company SAAB, which produces Gripen fighters, and the Danish Terma, a manufacturer of radars and other radio equipment for the army.
The national security Agency (NSA) tracked data traffic through fiber-optic cables and a data center at a us military base in Denmark. The leak was discovered by one of the employees of the Danish military intelligence Service and for a long time tried to draw the attention of the leadership to the problem.
It turned out that the NSA received information about the program to update the fleet of military aircraft of the Danish air force. According to European experts, American intelligence could have influenced the choice of the Danes, who were seriously considering the option of buying Swedish Gripens. But in the end, Copenhagen acquires 27 F-35 Lightning for almost four billion dollars. Thus, Europe again supported the us military-industrial complex, abandoning its own aircraft production.
According to Sergey Sudakov, a corresponding member of the Academy of military Sciences, any large American Corporation can officially request information about contractors from the NSA, FBI, and CIA.
"The capacity of the Swedish company makes it easy to provide aircraft to all the countries of Northern Europe," Sudakov said in an interview with RIA Novosti. — But the US never plays fair. Financial and industrial espionage is the norm for them. They seem to be friends, on the same side in NATO, but nevertheless they are constantly stealing secrets, listening to state leaders, probing the weaknesses of competitors."
The cockpit of a Swedish SAAB Gripen e fighter plane at the LAAD 2017 Defense and Security exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 4, 2017
Image source: © AFP 2020 / Yasuyoshi Chiba
The proposal gives rise to demand
The demand for American fifth-generation fighters in the world is really high, although the car is still frankly raw and it will not be brought to mind in any way. Despite the ongoing controversies and scandals, these planes are bought by the dozens and for a lot of money. Including those countries that, in fact, do not need them at all.
A good example of such waste is Poland, which decided to radically update its fleet of combat aircraft and abandon the legacy of the Warsaw Pact.
"Warsaw could have chosen the same Gripen ,which is much cheaper than the F-35," Sudakov says. — But still bought a batch of American "invisible" at an inflated price, which no one can understand. With the help of industrial espionage, pressure, all sorts of stuffing and outright theft of information, the United States becomes a monopoly. This applies not only to military equipment, but also to civil equipment, which is clearly seen in the conflict between Airbus and Boeing. The Americans are blackmailing European concerns. The Western world is losing its unity."
Artem Kureev, a military expert at the Valdai analytical club, believes that Washington uses the services of spies to search for profitable defense contracts within the framework of the so-called security export, when protection is provided to European allies only on the condition of mandatory purchase of American products. In addition, the activity of intelligence agencies in the preparation of arms deals may be due to the fact that the highest positions in the security structures of US corporations are occupied by retired intelligence officers.
"They are ready to "thank" their colleagues with positions after retirement, consulting orders and promotion through lobbyists, " the expert explained. — So information about a possible deal between the Danes and the Swedes could be received by Lockheed Martin management both directly and through the White house. And then American lobbyists, negotiators, and the military pushed through their contract."
An f-35A Lightning II, AF-4 ground fighter during tests conducted by the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards air force base, Cali
Image source: © Photo : United States government work/Lockheed Marti/Darin Russell
Proven strategy
This is not the first time that Europeans have faced unfair competition from the United States. So, in 2017, Bulgaria, which was going to buy Swedish Gripens, under pressure from the Americans, refused them in favor of F-16 fighters.
"For the Swedes, only third-country markets are still open, and in Europe, only Hungary was able to sell their equipment," kureev emphasizes. — A larger player, the Eurofighter consortium, is also subject to information attacks. Austria, for example, planned to abandon European multi-purpose fighters in 2017."
Another victim of aggressive American marketing is Belgium. Brussels will also buy more than 30 F-35 fighters, although the choice of a European brand would be more understandable for the Belgian air force. Aviation equipment was offered to them by the Swedes, the French, and the Eurofighter GmbH consortium. However, the United States won the tender. Belgium will be fully re-equipped with lightning by the end of the 2020s. According to economists, together with the service, this will cost Brussels an astronomical $ 15 billion.
Opponents of the deal tried to speak in the country's Parliament, but they refused to listen. Some Belgian media called the contract a "betrayal", but the Prime Minister put an end to it, explaining the choice of the F-35 as a more profitable commercial offer.
F-16 fighter of the Belgian air force
Image source: © AP Photo / Geert Vanden Wijngaert