Wednesday November 25, 2009

Australia approves purchase of joint strike fighters

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia has approved the purchase of its first order of 14 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the defence minister said on Wednesday, a move aimed at retaining regional air superiority.

The A$3.2 billion ($2.9 billion) cost includes infrastructure and support for training and testing, and the planes will be ready for operations in Australia by 2018, John Faulkner said.

A Lockheed Martin X-35A Joint Strike Fighter concept demonstrator receives fuel from a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker during a test mission over California's Mojave Desert in this November 7, 2000 file photo. (REUTERS/Lockheed Martin/Tom Reynolds/Handout/Files)

Australia is one of eight countries to join the United States to bankroll the radar-evading F-35, which is in the early stages of production. Other partners are Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark and Norway.

"The Joint Strike Fighter acquisition will allow Australia to maintain its regional air combat superiority," Air Force Chief Air Marshal Mark Binskin said in a statement.

The approval comes after a senior Pentagon official on Monday warned some countries were delaying planned purchases of the jet, in a move that would increase initial prices for what is the costliest U.S. arms purchase.

Australia is considering buying between 72 and 100 Joint Strike Fighters to replace its fleet of F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters.

For a related graphic, click http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/RNGS/NOV/F35.jpg

Faulkner said the government will make a decision in 2012 on buying the next batch of the aircraft.

"By 2012, defence will have much firmer cost estimates for the remaining aircraft and necessary support and enabling capabilities as part of the first multi-year buy that is expected to comprise over 1,000 aircraft for the U.S., Australia and other partners," he said.

U.S. officials have said they will keep secret the sensitive software codes to be used in the radar-evading fighter, limiting the ability of investor countries to maintain and upgrade the fighters without U.S. involvement.

The single-engine F-35 can switch quickly between air-to-ground and air-to-air missions while still flying -- tricks heavily dependent on its 8 million lines of onboard software code.

(Reporting by James Grubel; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

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Wednesday November 25, 2009

Australia approves purchase of joint strike fighters