Firstly to oldm8, Where do u get off calling Carlo a git and saying he is full of it???
Care to share your credentials and background re defence analysis compared to his??
For everyone else who wants to be informed here is the link, Have a read-
http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-2008-02.html
He is 100% correct in his assessment.
In time of limited conflict or outright war or when its outbreak is imminent it is too damn late to overhaul a countries defence infrastructure and equipment/platform types and numbers.
As we all know acquisition alone of large/ complex platforms like aircraft and ships costs a fortune and takes years to implement and they can be destroyed in a few minutes, literally.
Same for building or improving an airports infrastructure let alone an airbases. By the time all the wheels have turned and red tape processed it takes many years to get even a single runway built let alone all the suggested improvements at the end of the above article.
Our small air force cannot afford to lose even a tenth of its front line aircraft if it is to be able to fight even a limited regional conflict effectively. Every aircraft at one of these bases at the time of a well executed attack with cruise missiles or bombs would be gone in minutes.
That could be an entire fighter/strike Sqdn along with its tanker, AEW and transports if they are caught on the ground.
I have known Carlo for many years and he has worked tirelessly with no reward or thanks trying to help get our politicians and RAAF leadership better informed so their decisions do not leave Australia a sitting duck when the next shooting war breaks out which it will at some future date whether we are here to see it or not.