‘Foolish to ramp up order for Joint Strike Fighters’

The head of the Air Force, Mel Hupfeld, says Australia would be ‘foolish’ to prematurely ­increase its Joint Strike Fighter order from 72 to 100.

The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. Picture: Alex Coppel

The head of the Air Force, Mel Hupfeld, says Australia would be “foolish” to prematurely ­increase its Joint Strike Fighter order from 72 to 100, arguing it might be better off waiting for a next-generation capability.

Days after Scott Morrison lauded the “incredible” fifth-­generation fighter, Air Marshal Hupfeld said Australia needed to “keep an open mind” on whether to exercise its option to buy a further 28 of the F-35A stealth jets.

He said a sixth-generation fighter, or some other technology, could emerge that would offer better value. “I’ve got to be open to what other options might be there,” Air Marshal Hupfeld told a briefing for defence industry players.

“I’d like to be able to believe that there is a bunch of alternative technologies and ­opportunities that would allow me to achieve air combat superiority in the times and places that we need it.”

The wait-and-see approach comes as the US considers winding back its F-35 order, potentially raising costs for Australia.

In a 2018 ­review, only recently made public, the US Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability office recommended the future US fleet of F-35s be capped at 1050 rather than an originally planned 1763. Australia has taken delivery of 33 F-35A jets from a firm order of 72, at a total program cost of $17bn.

The Lockheed Martin-manufactured fighter is one of the world’s most expensive aircraft at $140m each, and comes with huge operational costs.

It has suffered from well-publicised problems, from structural cracking to peeling stealth coatings and an inaccurate Gatling gun.

“Excellence in high-end war fighting is still required. But we need to do much, much more than that,” he said.