$12.4 billion spent on more fighter jets

摘要

The federal government has announced it will spend $12.4 billion to purchase 58 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters (JSF). This follows through on the Defence White Paper 2013 to acquire three squadrons of the JSF to replace the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A/B Hornets, which are scheduled for decommissioning in 2022. An initial order of 14 JSFs was approved in 2009; the total of 72 will provide a fourth training squadron for the RAAF. The decision to purchase the JSFs was originally made in the Defence White Paper 2000, which made a commitment to purchase up to 100 of the aircraft. At the time, acquisition was meant to begin in 2006-2007 with the first aircraft entering RAAF service in 2012. In 2002, Australia formally joined the JSF development program, officially cancelling "consideration of other combat platforms".