Australia to purchase "Son of Star Wars" Defence System

Seems like we're trying to get up to date with military hardware... didnt the federal budgt increase military spend? correct me if i'm wrong but it seems to me we're turning into a mini-USA of the region

May I remind you all that this is ALL SPECULATION... and it's just the big wigs of australia's military having "talks" whit american people in the know.

I have it on good authority and I quote our wonderful Federal Treasurer "NO MONEY HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TOWARDS THIS PROJECT WHATSOEVER"

Chris

OH MY GOD

I was just researching your comments Intelgirl and I came across a very interesting document.

Apparently the howard government will retire the F1-11's 5 YEARS BEFORE WE RECEIVE the strike aricraft.

This is a very worrying turn of events. We are
undermanned as it is when we talk of defending australian borders in the air.

The Document in question below.

Media Statement

Chris

Although Australia will not make a final decision on acquiring the F-35 until 2006, they forked over $150 million US dollars to Lockheed in October 2002 -

Plus I have heard that the F-35 program will be made easier for Australia because of their help with the Iraq war.

I understand the cost of maintaining the outdated F-111's is becoming financially very unpleasant for the RAAF.
And for the bargain price of only $12 billion you get a fleet of brand new F-35 fighters... that's just the cost of six B-2 bombers! What a deal!

Here's a link that may interest you from a Lockheed press release:
www.lmaeronautics.com...

Another link from Global Security.Org:
www.globalsecurity.org...

AHem.....


I was talking about the missile defence system of which this thread is supposed to be about..

Sorry about the confusion.. Thanks for the F1-11 Links though. Very Interesting.

Chris

Sorry,
I know very little about missile defense but I am very intimate with the JSF program...
Had to talk about something i had knowledge of~

Don't worry Chris

If anything were to happen to australia i'm sure the USA & UK would throw everything they had against the attackers

Well I was reading some stats on Australia just out of curiosity and you guys have 57 F-18's and 18 trainer version F-18's... they can probably deliver similar packages (albeit smaller) than the F-111....

I was reading from the Green Party of Aotearoa website (yeah, they're awesome), and the various MP's were protesting the use of Harewood base in Christchurch for the American starlifters and Galaxies that pass by on their way to Pine Gap. Apparently it's common knowledge that Australia is a definite on the Star Wars program and they have begun kitting out their current arsenal of jets with star wars-esqe weaponry.

The GPA MP's are also protesting that "other" base for use in echelon because of the unpleasant position it puts NZ in if it comes to nuclear war between the Chinese and the ANZUS. I think MA is right, we might soon see Nuie step in in place of NZ proper, changing the arms race nonmenclature to "China vs. ANUS."

Go Greens! Nandor for prime minister!

The Link:
Green MP's protest Star Wars

[Edited on 1-15-2004 by insite]

I can't uderstand why people are going off, we are just
trying to defend ourselves. Plus these systems can not
be deployed as an offencive system.

raptor,

I see your point.... But the actual defence system itself is not the problem....

It's the thought of implementing such a thing.... It's making other countries edgy...

Which in turn points more warheads in our direction.

Chris