The Australian Debate: Abandon F-35, Buy F-22s?

In their October 2006 article, "Rapped in the Raptor: why Australia must have the best," Australian newspaper The Age reported that:

"[Recently] Retired RAAF air vice-marshal Peter Criss has put aside usual conventions to openly question the wisdom of Canberra spending about $16 billion for the F-35 Lightning, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter. The Government committed an initial $300 million to become an early partner in the JSF program, with a final decision to be made by 2008. But Mr Criss says the RAAF should, in fact, consider buying the F-22 Raptor…"

Criss' disquiet was the first significant breaking of ranks by top military brass over this issue, but Australia's opposition Labor Party soon stepped into the fray with a formal statement, discussing the fighter gap that will exist between the F-111's planned retirement early in 2010 and the proposed F-35A LRIP purchase in 2013 or later.

A subsequent purchase announcement and follow-on contracts for 24 F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets has only intensified the discussion. While that F/A-18F purchase is very close to a fait accompli, Australia's F-35 purchase has moved from an assumed conclusion to a very serious debate – and now that the opposition Labor party will form the next government, the opposition statements and positions of new defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon take on added weight. DID's Spotlight article chronicles those positions, while offering links and background materials from both sides of the Australian debate…

Source : DID