Jason Simonds, TDL reader from down-under, sent this comment to the blog today:
But these are clear indications that Australia's new government is likely to stick with the F-35 for the forseeable future. That's bad news for the already tenuous export future for the Lockheed F-22 and also the Boeing F/A-18E/F program, which might have hoped to compete for a follow-on order by the Royal Australian Air Force.
"Stephen Gumley, the chief executive officer of Australia's Defence Materiel Organisation (agency responsible for buying military capability in Australia) let slip on 10 July 2008, in front of a Senate enquiry, that Australia WILL be buying the F-35A, barring some unlikely calamity in the project causing it's entire cancellation."I cross-checked Simonds' keen observation with the Sydney Morning Herald, which this morning reports:
I'm sure more of this story will become clear at the Farnborough air show next week, where I'll be speaking with the F-35's US government and Lockheed Martin representatives.Opposition defence spokesman Nick Minchin said the DMO had confirmed what Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon would not - that the JSF would be part of Australia's future air combat capability.
"It is clear that Labor will support the coalition's decision to acquire the JSF and this confirmation from the DMO makes a mockery of Mr Fitzgibbon's junket to the US to talk tough with the JSF's prime contractor, Lockheed Martin," Senator Minchin said.
But these are clear indications that Australia's new government is likely to stick with the F-35 for the forseeable future. That's bad news for the already tenuous export future for the Lockheed F-22 and also the Boeing F/A-18E/F program, which might have hoped to compete for a follow-on order by the Royal Australian Air Force.
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