The partnership is restricted to supporting the options of Danish companies for becoming suppliers to the US Armed Forces and the US defence market in relation to tasks associated with the F-35 or other defence-related or high-tech tasks. Therefore, the target group for the partnership’s activities comprises Danish companies with the potential for and desire to export to US defence-industry companies and/or the US Department of Defense. The partnership actively cooperates with the two main commercial US suppliers to the JSF programme: Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney. In addition, the partnership cooperates with the US authorities and the JSF programme secretariat.
The partnership activities are conducted within three overarching tracks:
- Track 1: Efforts targeting Danish companies
- Track 2: Efforts targeting US companies
- Track 3: Efforts targeting US authorities
Track 1: Efforts targeting Danish companies
Under track 1, a series of actions are implemented to promote Danish companies’ export opportunities on the US market. These efforts should boost the capabilities of the companies to heighten the requisite technological and competitive capacity, so they can be considered as suppliers to the US armed forces and the defence market. This is exemplified by a pilot scheme which establishes a special defence-industry point of contact for Danish defence-industry companies under the auspices of Erhvervshus Copenhagen in cooperation with other business promotion offices. Track 1 also comprises the Danish Armed Forces’ efforts to support the Danish defence industry, e.g. in conjunction with public procurement relating to the manufacture and maintenance of the F-35, arranging information meetings, the provision of assistance and advisory services to Danish companies by defence-industry attachés, etc.
Track 2: Efforts targeting US companies
Actions under track 2 focus on clarifying Lockheed Martin’s statements on strategic involvement with Danish industry resulting from Denmark selecting the F-35 aircraft type, and generally supporting the access of relevant Danish companies to the US armed forces and defence market. This is achieved through direct contacts and ongoing dialogue with Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney in various contexts and forums. For instance, the Danish Embassy in Washington D.C. and DSIO organise export-promotion events and industrial seminars in both Denmark and the USA aimed at heightening the exposure of prospective Danish suppliers to the US armed forces and defence market. In addition, annual high-level meetings between the Danish Government and the main US suppliers for the F-35 programme are conducted under track 2. Finally, Danish order flows are monitored on an ongoing basis for Danish companies’ participation in the manufacture, maintenance, etc., of the F-35, as well as other derivative industrial activities among the target-group companies’ exports to the US market.
Track 3: Efforts targeting US authorities
The purpose of track 3 is to strengthen the protection of interests vis-à-vis the US authorities, including the secretariat of the JSF programme, to ensure that Danish companies have fair opportunities for involvement in the manufacture, maintenance, etc., of the F-35 and in other high-tech or defence-related tasks, and to secure generally good framework terms and conditions for exports to the USA. For instance, the Danish Armed Forces safeguard Danish interests in the JSF programme to promote transparency and efficient communication of information in the tendering processes under the JSF programme. In addition, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Embassy in Washington D.C. work to consolidate the framework terms and conditions for Danish companies’ defence-related exports to the USA, including, for example, by heightening awareness of Denmark’s exemption in the defence area from the US “Buy American” rules.