Bill F.
In late July, the first F35 Joint Strike Fighter for the Royal Australian Air Force was ‘handed over’ at the Lockheed Martin plant in Texas, complete with rock music, a didgeridoo and an aboriginal message stick.
This theatre was designed to tart up the fact that Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Defence Minister David Johnson and Ambassador Kim Beazley were all absent, while the US was represented by an Under-Secretary.
It was poor cover for the embarrassment of the aircraft being two years behind schedule and still not operational. Problems with software, avionics and a recent engine fire that grounded all test flights mean that pilot and maintenance training will be further delayed.
As a single engine plane, any power failure means the plane will be lost. At $120 million apiece, and a total bill exceeding $12 billion, it’s an expensive lemon.
The Australian government has committed to this farce simply to curry favour with US imperialism.
The F35 is just another feature of the US demand for “interoperabilit
The real defence interests and independence of the puppets counts for nought.
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