BR71 another take on potential US financial difficulties is that nations like Australia will have no choice but to stop riding the US security coat tails. If the US becomes profoundly less able to project power and employ battlespace effects ..... who will?
For stoushes we don't choose - fine, we won't choose them. But what about the stoushes we DON'T choose, but choose us instead? I'd have thought that there is a pretty good chance of the defence vote having to increase beyond the current estimates. Not a certainty, but can't be ruled out.
In which case - bring on the C-27Js! In fact, bring on the C-27Js regardless.
Another alternative is to look at the drum you've been beating - why does our defence budget buy so little compared to other middle powers? Not an easy comparison to make: there are strategic horses for courses; some things appear in some nations' budgets which are external in others' budgets; current operational tempo; etc etc. Has our history of procurement debacles left us without systems and capabilities we ought to have? No doubt, but we're hardly unique in that regard.