Australia want the F-22

[Mick.B]

Australia wants option to buy F-22 jets

By Max Blenkin
February 23, 2008 06:12pm

Article from: AAP


AUSTRALIA wants the option to buy the F-22 Raptor jet fighter barred from foreign sales by the United States, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon says.

Australia will write to the Congressman whose legislative amendment prevents the advanced stealth aircraft from sale outside the US to gauge whether he would ever relent.
Mr Fitzgibbon said today he had discussed this issue with visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates who advised on the best approach.
"The secretary was very helpful in pointing out that it is not just the administration that we need to approach. It is actually the Congress and the congressman,'' he told reporters.
"We have agreed that I should both write to him and to the congressman.''
Mr Gates said the US administration had in principle no objection to foreign sales of F-22.
"The problem that we have with F-22 is that we have a statute of the United states titled the Obey Amendment that precludes the US from selling F-22s to any foreign country,'' he said.
"So while we in principle have no objection to it, until the statute is changed, we are not able sell it to any country.''

That is named for Wisconsin Democrat Congressman Dave Obey who in 1998 tacked an amendment onto a budget bill, barring the US Defence Department from approving or licensing F-22 for export.
That reflects a view of some US politicians that the US should jealously protect its military advantage by not exporting its best technology, even to trusted allies.
This is only likely to be an issue for Australia should the current air power review conclude Australia needs F-22 to meet future air combat requirements.
That review, launched by Mr Fitzgibbon as one of his first moves on entering government, will report in April.
Mr Fitzgibbon said today the government had no view on whether F-22 should be or should not be part of Australia's air combat mix.
"But we do want the opportunity to consider the F-22 in the air combat capability review,'' he said.
Mr Fitzgibbon said there was no question that the key to Australian defence was maintaining air superiority but that was not intended to counter any specific threat.
"It simply expresses the Australian government's determination that when we make these very important decisions that every area of capability available is part of that mix,'' he said.
"On that basis we have to make absolutely sure we make the correct decisions as we plan for both and longterm future.''
Mr Fitzgibbon said Labor remained concerned about some decision made by the former coalition government which seemed to be ad hoc and lacking in strategic guidance.
"The results of that capability review will feed into the (defence) White Paper that we will develop this year,'' he said.

[PLovett]

How does it go, nothing is ever confirmed until its officially denied.

Well looks like we want to get the F22 (with a bit of Congressional goodwill).

I wonder what the price will be? Support for the US when hardware starts getting chucked over the Straits of Taiwan perhaps?

[Frazzled]

Yeah and I want to win LOTTO - and probably got more chance of winning that than Kevin has of getting F-22's

[GreenKnight121]

Note... the statute which prohibits sale of the F-22 was authored by a Democrat... the party that now controls BOTH houses of Congress, and which stands a good chance of putting one of its own in the Oval Office... which means NO chance of getting the F-22 approved for sale for at least 5 years (1 year until the new President is sworn in, and 4 more until the following).

No chance of a "back-door" deal, it is a matter of Law.

Thus, those who are mesmerized by the crap spouted by the delusional Carlo Kopp are doomed to failure in their attempts to get the Raptor for the RAAF... all they will do is screw up the timely purchase of the F-35.

[munichexpress]

You don't want that.......delivery invoves crossing the date line...

[0497]

There is certainly some isolationist rhetoric coming from some quarters of Congress so the likelihood of the law being overturned are very slim. Also, the USAF has unsuccessfully lobbied to get more than 180 F-22s so I don't see the RAAF being an exception.

US industry aren't in much of a hurry to lobby overturning the law since LM also produces the F-35. Australian industry also would prefer the F-35.

I see the request as more of an attempt to differentiate themselves from the previous government but the end result will be the same.

[Flyingblind]

Understand all the above POV and just tossing in my 2 cents worth, with the recent grounding of the Classic F-15 and (not really linked i know) B2 isn't the USAF rather strapped for Next Gen (5TH Generation) asset procurement?

Whomever wins the next US election i doubt they would welcome the public perception that they are denying the American people their right of protection from overseas aggression.

By selling the Raptor to Japan (60-70 ?) and Australia (40-60?) would not the production line be extended and therefore the unit price be reduced?

Or is price for Congress not the real issue? is it a smokescreen to prevent the current incumbents (Republicans) from exporting their view of world diplomacy by 'cracking a walnut with a hammer?

Would the Technologies incumbent in the F-22EA (Export Australia) version really be that advantageous to Australia to unbalance the SE Asia equation or are is it a level of mistrust of our industry and RAAF personnel to keep certain things 'In house'.

Nice as the F-22 capabilities may be, it comes with a monumental associated price, not just fiscally. Once all the Horse Trading and BS is finished in the US we may as well just get on and accept JSF as the best we can do.