Point0five, the cost of providing a heavy maint facility for 4 C-17 aircraft would be extemely prohibitive and would be an even larger waste of taxpayer money.
Frozo I would argue that most of the places that ADF personell are likely to encounter Surface-Air fire, we shouldn't be there in the first place. I agree that the ADF should provide humanitarian aid to those less fortunate than us in South East Asia and the Pcific Islands. I am reassured by your statement that they do look outsourcing these operations although I have never heard of it happening.