RAAF Raptors?

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19613627-31477,00.html

Buy F-22 Raptors or face air gap: Beazley

Patrick Walters, National security editor
June 28, 2006

AUSTRALIA should consider buying US F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to avoid a serious gap opening up in the RAAF’s air combat power after 2010, Kim Beazley said yesterday.

Pointing to possible delays in the $16billion Joint Strike Fighter program, the Opposition Leader claimed the RAAF was about to lose its technological superiority in Southeast Asia as neighbouring countries acquired more sophisticated aircraft.

“It’s a very serious situation. A big capability gap is building up now – Australia versus the region,” he said.

“We have always enjoyed technological superiority. We are now about to lose it.”

The US House of Representatives voted last week to lift a 10-year-old ban on foreign sales of the F-22, built by the JSF contractor, Lockheed Martin.

The F-22, an air superiority fighter, is already in production but at about $180 million each remains much more expensive than the JSF, which is expected to undertake its maiden flight in October.

Mr Beazley said the F-22 could be the answer for the RAAF after the retirement of the F-111 strike force from 2010 to ensure that a serious gap did not emerge in the country’s front-line defences. This would give defence planners more time to make an appropriate decision about the JSF’s capabilities and whether it was the best choice for the RAAF.

“The job of our diplomacy is to build friendships on the basis of a proper recognition of Australian national interest. But we do need to keep a reserve,” Mr Beazley said.

“And that reserve is in technological superiority. That is about to go. Gone, gone.

“The JSF will not be ready in time to fill that.”

But Defence Minister Brendan Nelson, visiting the JSF production plant at Forth Worth, Texas, emphasised that the next-generation fighter remained on schedule for delivery to Australia from 2012.

The RAAF plans to buy up to 100 JSFs, currently estimated to cost about $100 million each, to eventually replace the F-111 bombers and the F/A-18 fighters.

“As far as pricing is concerned, there has been very little upward movement on price,” Dr Nelson said in Fort Worth yesterday. “This is the right aircraft for us. It will serve Australia’s needs for more than 30 years.”

The Government is due to sign later this year a key memorandum of understanding with the US on the JSF, which will cover access to computer source codes to maintain the aircraft.

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Ok, I don’t say the F-22 wouldn’t be useful for Australia.
It sure would. Forward based in the Philippines or Brunei or Singapore.
Cause it is still a long way till those Chinese CBGs come steaming down the Strait of Makasar …

And by looking at the latest iteration in the recent Flight International one can see that the F-35 will not be a fighter, more a stealthy A-7 with AMRAAMs, not a bad plane, but not a fighter. (And to no suprise, and the Boeing JSF would have been even better in the strike role, etc …)

But Mr. Beazley wants it as replacement for the F-111.
Not really fitting.

Any Australian voices here about that idea/proposal?