arguing it is “part of an air force’s DNA” to keep complex aircraft ready to fly.
Australia is the size of Europe and repair shops for such complex aircraft are few and far between. A breakdown in outback Australia, however minor, often means serious downtime. Air forces often operate at well established and well resourced bases (within reason) and their equipment has very long legs.
It does appear that we purchased a Ferrari only to discover it doesn't make a great ute in the outback. Honestly, I don't know what the air force is going to do with them.