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Old 9th Feb 2011, 12:18
  #162 (permalink)  
Gnadenburg
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Eden Valley
Posts: 2,147
Received 91 Likes on 40 Posts
The Western and therefore the Australian philosophy for defence personnel and equipment is to ensure the highest training standards and the best military systems in an effort to overcome and try to outweigh the sheer weight of numbers that many potential aggressors might be able to mount against us.

Therefore, of necessity, we must strive to purchase the moist effective and up-to-date weapon systems that are available in the world.

To send our diminutive force into the likely current day and future battlefields with anything less, is to condemn our young military men and women to death.

New high-tech weapon systems are by nature very risky not only in terms of test and development technical risk, but also in terms of manufacturing and cost risks.

This will never change...
I strongly disagree with this view.

If a small nation like Australia, bought in service and proven military equipment, we would not regularly face the absurd situation of having capability gaps.

We can't afford the luxury you describe. It hasn't worked and procurement process has too often failed.

Just a quick glance again at Singapore- tankers, SAMS, proven attack helicopters, AWACS, evolved and proven tactical fighters in good numbers, F15E in service whilst Australia gambled on an old platform and JSF etc ...

That's where I struggle with your comment here-

To send our diminutive force into the likely current day and future battlefields with anything less, is to condemn our young military men and women to death.
Singapore, through sensible and cost effective procurements, does not accept a capability gap. And I suggest, that because we do, it could be catastrophic for our young men in a future conflict. For example, how exposed are we without tankers, or AWACS, or a stand off missile, in a contained skirmish in Asia? What about Afganistan and relying on Dutch Apaches because our piece of crap isn't operational?

Buy stuff that is operational and proven. Give our young men and women a chance and don't gamble on not being exposed by a capability gap in pursuit of unproven technology.
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