Mick.B
23rd Feb 2008, 07:46
:)
Australia wants option to buy F-22 jets
By Max Blenkin
February 23, 2008 06:12pm
Article from: AAP
AUSTRALIA wants the option to buy the F-22 Raptor jet fighter barred from foreign sales by the United States, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon says.
Australia will write to the Congressman whose legislative amendment prevents the advanced stealth aircraft from sale outside the US to gauge whether he would ever relent.
Mr Fitzgibbon said today he had discussed this issue with visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates who advised on the best approach.
"The secretary was very helpful in pointing out that it is not just the administration that we need to approach. It is actually the Congress and the congressman,'' he told reporters.
"We have agreed that I should both write to him and to the congressman.''
Mr Gates said the US administration had in principle no objection to foreign sales of F-22.
"The problem that we have with F-22 is that we have a statute of the United states titled the Obey Amendment that precludes the US from selling F-22s to any foreign country,'' he said.
"So while we in principle have no objection to it, until the statute is changed, we are not able sell it to any country.''
That is named for Wisconsin Democrat Congressman Dave Obey who in 1998 tacked an amendment onto a budget bill, barring the US Defence Department from approving or licensing F-22 for export.
That reflects a view of some US politicians that the US should jealously protect its military advantage by not exporting its best technology, even to trusted allies.
This is only likely to be an issue for Australia should the current air power review conclude Australia needs F-22 to meet future air combat requirements.
That review, launched by Mr Fitzgibbon as one of his first moves on entering government, will report in April.
Mr Fitzgibbon said today the government had no view on whether F-22 should be or should not be part of Australia's air combat mix.
"But we do want the opportunity to consider the F-22 in the air combat capability review,'' he said.
Mr Fitzgibbon said there was no question that the key to Australian defence was maintaining air superiority but that was not intended to counter any specific threat.
"It simply expresses the Australian government's determination that when we make these very important decisions that every area of capability available is part of that mix,'' he said.
"On that basis we have to make absolutely sure we make the correct decisions as we plan for both and longterm future.''
Mr Fitzgibbon said Labor remained concerned about some decision made by the former coalition government which seemed to be ad hoc and lacking in strategic guidance.
"The results of that capability review will feed into the (defence) White Paper that we will develop this year,'' he said.
Australia wants option to buy F-22 jets
By Max Blenkin
February 23, 2008 06:12pm
Article from: AAP
AUSTRALIA wants the option to buy the F-22 Raptor jet fighter barred from foreign sales by the United States, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon says.
Australia will write to the Congressman whose legislative amendment prevents the advanced stealth aircraft from sale outside the US to gauge whether he would ever relent.
Mr Fitzgibbon said today he had discussed this issue with visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates who advised on the best approach.
"The secretary was very helpful in pointing out that it is not just the administration that we need to approach. It is actually the Congress and the congressman,'' he told reporters.
"We have agreed that I should both write to him and to the congressman.''
Mr Gates said the US administration had in principle no objection to foreign sales of F-22.
"The problem that we have with F-22 is that we have a statute of the United states titled the Obey Amendment that precludes the US from selling F-22s to any foreign country,'' he said.
"So while we in principle have no objection to it, until the statute is changed, we are not able sell it to any country.''
That is named for Wisconsin Democrat Congressman Dave Obey who in 1998 tacked an amendment onto a budget bill, barring the US Defence Department from approving or licensing F-22 for export.
That reflects a view of some US politicians that the US should jealously protect its military advantage by not exporting its best technology, even to trusted allies.
This is only likely to be an issue for Australia should the current air power review conclude Australia needs F-22 to meet future air combat requirements.
That review, launched by Mr Fitzgibbon as one of his first moves on entering government, will report in April.
Mr Fitzgibbon said today the government had no view on whether F-22 should be or should not be part of Australia's air combat mix.
"But we do want the opportunity to consider the F-22 in the air combat capability review,'' he said.
Mr Fitzgibbon said there was no question that the key to Australian defence was maintaining air superiority but that was not intended to counter any specific threat.
"It simply expresses the Australian government's determination that when we make these very important decisions that every area of capability available is part of that mix,'' he said.
"On that basis we have to make absolutely sure we make the correct decisions as we plan for both and longterm future.''
Mr Fitzgibbon said Labor remained concerned about some decision made by the former coalition government which seemed to be ad hoc and lacking in strategic guidance.
"The results of that capability review will feed into the (defence) White Paper that we will develop this year,'' he said.