Turnbull must reject the JSF

Turnbull must reject the JSF

Last year Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was Minister for Communications and Justin Pierre Trudeau was leader of the third ranking party in the Canadian Parliament. Trudeau had no ministerial responsibilities and therefore had time to research key issues. Turnbull was enmeshed in the NBN and was not able to strategise like Trudeau.

Both men are now prime ministers of their nations. During 2014 and 2015, Trudeau examined the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft that both Canada and Australia were relying on to give them air superiority in coming decades.

Malcolm Turnbull was too busy on other matters to worry about the JSF (or F-35 as it is also called).

But Justin Trudeau undertook the research and soon discovered the horror of the JSF and how it cannot match its rival aircraft. For most applications it is the wrong shape. And so as Canadian Prime Minister, Trudeau has rejected the JSF and is looking around for the best alternative.

I have no doubt that if Malcolm Turnbull could ever find the time to do his own research and not be pressured by vested interests in the defence department and JSF developer Lockheed Martin (as has occurred with a succession of inexperienced Australian defence ministers), he would come to the same conclusion as the Canadian Prime Minister.

Currently, the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has a Joint Strike Fighter Inquiry looking into the proposed JSF purchase. I have no doubt that the members of the committee will be placed under enormous pressure to agree with those who have a vested interest in the decision, including those who were involved in the original decision or who have been ignoring the JSF facts.

All Australians must hope that members of the committee study the submission of Wing Commander Chris Mills, AM, MSc, BSc (Retd), who goes into detail as to why the JSF is no match for its looming rivals. I have no doubt Justin Trudeau undertook the same examination and therefore came to the same conclusion as Wing Commander Mills..

I have a link to the Mills submission below, but Business Spectator readers don’t have to go through all the detail. Mills summarises the situation so that even most pressured on the JSF committee can understand. I call it the ‘Trudeau summary’. If Malcolm Turnbull can find time to read it, he will not be snowed and will come to the same conclusion as the Canadian Prime Minister.

Mills’ summary relies on the US Air Force’s assessment of the air combat capabilities of the JSF. There is a no better source. General Michael Hostage is recently retired commander of the US Air Force’s Air Combat Command. He commanded the most powerful air combat capability on earth.

Last year he declared to all potential buyers of the JSF or F-35: ‘If I do not keep that F-22 fleet viable, the F-35 (JSF) fleet frankly will be irrelevant. The F-35 is not built as an air superiority platform. It needs the F-22.”

Unfortunately, for all those relying on US air power, the platform to make the F22 is in mothballs and none are being made.

In announcing the latest JSF purchase agreement, former prime minister Tony Abbott said the JSF was bought to give Australia air superiority. I am not suggesting Tony Abbott was deliberately lying, but rather that the people who were assuring him that the JSF delivered air superiority in the region were grossly misleading him.

The lesson from our history is that Australia needs continuous vigilance to maintain the RAAF’s air superiority.

In our region, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Vietnam and China have advanced versions of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30. China has signed a contract for 24 very lethal Sukhoi Su-35S and Indonesia has announced it will purchase 16 Su-35S to replace its ageing fleet of F-5Es.

Even more serious news for Australia is that the even more lethal Sukhoi T-50 is in advanced state of development, as is China’s Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang J-31.

With the JSF, Australia is not in the air power race and given the mothballing of the F-22 Raptor production facilities, the US will not be able to help us in the next decade.

Malcolm Turnbull needs to combine with Justin Trudeau to convince the Americans to restart F22 production and incorporate in the F22 some of the amazing software that has been developed for the JSF. Then we would then truly have an air capacity of ranking in the region. Australia would also be part of an innovative air defence operation of great benefit to Australian industry.

Unless we can convince the US to do this, we must stop annoying China and the countries to the north.

Wing Commander Mills reminded the JSF inquiry of the words of the farsighted year 2000 defence strategic statement:

“Air combat is the most important single capability for the Defence of Australia, because control of the air over our territory and maritime approaches is critical to all other types of operation in the defence of Australia.

“Capability Goal 8.39: The Government believes that Australia must have the ability to protect itself from air attack, and control our air approaches to ensure that we can operate effectively against any hostile forces approaching Australia. The Government’s aim is to maintain the air combat capability at a level at least comparable qualitatively to any in the region, and with a sufficient margin of superiority to provide an acceptable likelihood of success in combat.

“These forces should be large enough to provide a high level of confidence that we could defeat any credible air attack on Australia and our approaches, and capable enough to provide options to deploy an air-combat capability to support a regional coalition. They will also have the capability to provide air-defence and support for deployed ground and maritime forces in our immediate region.

Successive Australian defence ministers in both parties have forgotten this vital aim. Our children and grandchildren will suffer.

The link to Wing Commander Mills’ presentation is here.