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Down Under

Australia to spend $6bn on fighter jets

2007-03-06

AUSTRALIA will buy 24 Boeing Super Hornets for $6 billion, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said today.

Dr Nelson said the acquisition would ensure a safe transition to the F35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) over the next decade. He said the Government was able to do this because of its solid economic management and budget surplus.

"The JSF is the most suitable aircraft for Australia's future combat and strike needs," Dr Nelson said. "Australia remains fully committed to the JSF. But the Government is not prepared to accept any risk to air combat and strike capability during the transition to the JSF."

Under current defence plans, ageing F-111 strike bombers will be retired soon after 2010. The Hornet will fill the fighter and bomber role until the arrival of the Lockheed F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter in the 2014-15 time frame.

Posted by:Snuling Gloling9123

#10 doesn't matter because Indonesia has more planes than us, more people than us and more guns than us.

Without US protection it's not going to be long before they invade.

And how long can the US protect us if our beloved allies have to fight on so many fronts: Iraq, Afghanistan, soon-to-be Iran, not forgetting Russia and China waiting in the wings to test themselves militarily....

I tell you fellow rantburgers, I am in fear of the future.

Posted by: anon1 2007-03-06 21:31

#9 RUSSIA SHOWS EUROPE THE LOVE BY THREATENING TO BOMB EUROS INTO BORSCH-WEENIES.

*happy sigh* You do have a way with words, JosephM! And only two of the new bombers? Not exactly a frightening fleet.

Posted by: trailing wife 2007-03-06 12:58

#8 Good choice. Only problem with Hornets is they have short legs.

Posted by: DarthVader 2007-03-06 09:59

#7 US development costs are over $40 billion. UK contributed ~$2 billion to development, but Australia is a tier 3 contributor (about $150 million or so IIRC) to development costs.

So their cost per plane is higher.

It will be interesting to see what configuration they chose. There's been political controversy in Oz over this purchase, btw.

Posted by: occasional observer 2007-03-06 09:28

#6 That would put the price per plane at $250,000,000.

That's Australian dollars. Not to be confused with the greenback. That's probably with missiles, bombs, spares, etc.

Posted by: Zhang Fei 2007-03-06 09:24

#5 Excuse me! SIX BILLION Dollars for 24 Super Hornets! I do believe there is a typo in this article. That would put the price per plane at $250,000,000. That is one expensive airplane Lucy!

Posted by: Chiper Threreger8956 2007-03-06 09:19

#4 Well, gorb, the Eurofighter is probably...

Oh, wait, you said "combat."

Never mind.

Posted by: Jackal 2007-03-06 07:09

#3 OTOH, YAHOO/AP > NASA claims does NOT have enuff $$$ to hunt down and track ALL Earth-threatening/killing asteroids-comets, ergo won't get done. ALL TOGETHER NOW, WID FEELING, WE'RE doomed Doomed DOOMED D-O-O-M-E-D DDDOOOMMMEEEDDD, THEY TELLS YA, DDDDDDDDDDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMEEEEEEDDDDDDDD. ONLY THE GUBMINT BY SAVE US BY FAILING TO PROTECT US.

Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-03-06 02:22

#2 JIT for Aussies , as RIAN.RU > RUSSIA to develop NEW MILITARY DOCTRINE to challenge NATO, i.e. preparing for situations invol a uni-polar world whose wierd and mysterious lone [fascist?]superpower insists on acting mil unilaterally. ALSO, RIAN/SPACEWAR > RUSSIA > new TU-160 bombers [all new TWO of them] can penetrate any defense and destroy any Euro city andor Mil-NATO target. IOW, RUSSIA SHOWS EUROPE THE LOVE BY THREATENING TO BOMB EUROS INTO BORSCH-WEENIES.

Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-03-06 02:18

#1 The JSF is the most suitable aircraft for Australia's future combat and strike needs

The JSF is the most suitable aircraft for anyone's future combat and strike needs.

Posted by: gorb 2007-03-06 01:44

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