A central source in the Socialist Left Party (SV) says to daily newspaper Dagsavisen, that the party is not willing to break ranks with the rest of the Centre-Left coalition less than a year from the general election.
The Government will announce its choice for Norway’s next generation of fighter on December 19. It has to choose between the two remaining candidates: the American-built Joint Strike Fighter and the Swedish JAS Gripen.
The Socialist Left Party has made it clear that they would prefer the Swedish plane. It has been thought that the issue would put a lot of pressure on the Centre-Left coalition. However, it now seems that the three coalition parties will stand together.
The debate has focused on three main issues: the relative merits of each plane as fighting machines, the price and the political consequences of each choice.
"Buying anything other than the American plane is impossible," says SV left-winger Hallgeir Langeland. "NATO integration means that it will be the American plane which is chosen," he says.
