Saturday, February 4, 2023
  • About us
    • Write for us
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy Policy
  • RSS Feeds
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
DefenceTalk
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
DefenceTalk
No Result
View All Result

Australia delays fighter jet project to save money

by Agence France-Presse
May 4, 2012
in Air Force News
2 min read
0
First flight launch means first step toward future air dominance
14
VIEWS

Australia said Thursday it will delay its order of 12 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) jets by two years to save money in an aggressive drive to return the budget to surplus.

The move is a setback to defence contractor Lockheed Martin, which has struggled with delays and cost blowouts on the project, with the stealth plane’s price tag doubling in real terms over the past decade.

It has also battled criticism that the jets, which are supposed to form the backbone of the future American air fleet, will not deliver the promised level of capability and had been outclassed by new Russian and Chinese aircraft.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith said he spoke to his US counterpart Leon Panetta Thursday morning and assured him the decision would not affect the US-Australia alliance, which has been stepped up in recent months.

“That effectively mirrors the decision which Secretary of State Panetta made with respect to over 150 Joint Strike Fighters proposed to be ordered by the United States,” Smith told reporters.

“We are now essentially on the same timetable for the delivery of our first batch of joint strike fighters as the United States is.”

Australia is a key ally of the United States and the two have recently reinforced their defence cooperation in a significant geo-strategic shift by Washington that has irked Beijing.

Australia is contractually obliged to purchase two JSF jets, which have already been delivered in the United States for testing and training. The other 12 were initailly scheduled for delivery between 2015 and 2017.

Canberra has long-term plans to buy up to 100 F-35s but has made no commitment beyond the first 14. Several other countries have also announced they are delaying or cutting orders, including the US and Italy.

The Australian government announces its budget next week and the delay on delivery of the F-35s will provide a Aus$1.6 billion (US$1.64 billion) boost to the bottom line.

Mining-powered Australia was the only advanced economy to weather the global downturn without entering recession, and returning the budget into the black is seen as key test of the struggling government’s economic management.

Further cost savings will be made with the cancellation of a project to acquire self-propelled howitzers, Smith added.

But the government said it would push ahead with the acquisition of 12 advanced new submarines to replace the Navy’s ageing Collins fleet.

It announced Aus$214 million in funding towards detailed design and analysis for the future project.

“This will be the largest defence capability project the Commonwealth has embarked upon,” said Smith. Reports said that overall the submarine project was expected to cost around Aus$40 billion.

In announcing the decisions, Prime Minister Julia Gillard guaranteed that overseas defence operations would not be impacted by spending cuts in the May 8 budget and there would be no reduction in military numbers.

“The budget will protect the men and women on the front line,” she said, adding that the government had commissioned a new defence white paper a year ahead of schedule.

Gillard said there had been a number of significant developments both domestically and internationally since the previous white paper in 2009, citing a strategic global shift towards Australia’s region.

Tags: australiabudgetcostsF-35Fighter Aircraftjoint Strike fightermoneyRAAFsave
Previous Post

National Sovereignty: NATO and the EU’s Fatal Weakness

Next Post

Olympics: UK military prepare for ‘9/11-type attack’

Related Posts

USAF F-16 fleet undergoing largest modification work in history

Poland not in talks to send F-16s to Ukraine

February 1, 2023

Poland is not in talks to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, a deputy defence minister said Tuesday, a day...

India approves purchase of 33 Russian fighter jets

Two Indian military jets crash, one pilot killed

January 30, 2023

Two Indian Air Force fighter jets crashed Saturday, killing one pilot and injuring two others, in an apparent mid-air collision...

Next Post
Malaysian Exercise Resounding Success for RAF Typhoon Squadron

Olympics: UK military prepare for '9/11-type attack'

Latest Defense News

Beijing accuses NATO of exaggerating ‘China threat theory’

Majority of Finns want to join NATO before Sweden: poll

February 3, 2023
China, US defence ministers to hold talks in Singapore

Pentagon tracking Chinese spy balloon over US

February 3, 2023
Eurofighter Touts Typhoon Capabilities to Poland At Air Show

UK court examines legality of resuming Saudi arms sales

February 1, 2023
If US DoD Wants #ArtificialIntelligence In Its Future, It Must Start Now

AI voice tool ‘misused’ as deepfakes flood web forum

February 1, 2023
Japan defence ministry seeks $50 billion budget

NATO chief hails Japan plans to expand defence spending

February 1, 2023
Indonesia Orders Additional CAESAR Artillery Systems

France to send more mobile artillery to Ukraine

February 1, 2023

Defense Forum Discussions

  • IRIS² European Satcom Constellation
  • Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates 2.0
  • The Russian-Ukrainian War Thread
  • Military Aviation News and Discussion
  • Ukrainian - Russian War Memes.
  • The Royal Navy Discussions and Updates
  • General Aviation Thread
  • Italian Army discussion and Update
  • ADF General discussion thread
  • Australian Army Discussions and Updates
DefenceTalk

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com

Navigate Site

  • Defence Forum
  • Military Photos
  • RSS Feeds
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com