Forum: F-22A Raptor

US rules out deal on F-22 Raptor fighter jets

By Cameron Stewart
February 14, 2007 02:00am

AUSTRALIA's largest defence project, the $15 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, is now almost certain to go ahead after the US formally ruled out the only viable alternative warplane for the RAAF.

The US Deputy Defence Secretary Gordon England has written to Defence Minister Brendan Nelson saying the US will not export the world's most deadly warplane - the F-22 Raptor - to Australia.

The US statement ends a growing debate among defence experts about which plane should replace the RAAF's ageing F-111 strike bombers and form the front line of the nation's future air force.

It makes it virtually certain that Canberra will agree to formalise the acquisition of up to 100 F-35s when a final decision is due next year.

At more than $15 billion, the F-35 fleet will be the single largest purchase of any kind by an Australian government since Federation.

The yet-to-be-completed F-35 has been plagued by cost overruns and delays, but it has retained the solid support of both the RAAF and Dr Nelson, who says it is easily the best, most cost-effective option for Australia's strategic requirements.

However, the Labor Party and some defence experts had been calling for the RAAF to buy the F-22, which is the world's most lethal fighter but also the most expensive at around $170 million each -- more than double the projected cost of the F-35.

A study of Australia's airpower released yesterday by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute recommended that the Government seriously investigate the purchase of the F-22.

"The fifth-generation F-22 Raptor is the world's best fighter - its stealth and performance put it well ahead of the pack," the ASPI report says.

Although the US has never exported the F-22, Labor and some defence experts believed the US might relax its restrictions with a close ally such as Australia.

Dr Nelson discussed the range of warplane options with senior Bush administration officials during the annual Ausmin defence talks in Washington in December.

But in a letter to Dr Nelson last month, Mr England clarified US policy once and for all.

"Regarding the F-22, our current position is that the airplane will not be made available to foreign military sales," Mr England wrote.

The statement means Australia will have little choice but to hope that the F-35 is delivered on time and on budget with all of its promised capabilities.

The first F-35s are due to be delivered to the RAAF by 2014. Although the planes have suffered serious problems with weight and with software integration during their design, the first test-flight in December was a success and the RAAF believes the F-35 will be a potent warplane capable of matching anything in the region.

However, the price of the F-35s - estimated at around $70 million each - is likely to rise further after the US air force recently reduced its orders for the plane, driving up the cost for other customers such as Australia.

The US statement on the F-22 reflects a continuing reluctance by the US to export cutting-edge stealth technology, even to its closest allies.

Both Australia and Britain have clashed with the US over access to stealth technology for the F-35.

The Pentagon plans to buy about 2500 of the Lockheed Martin-made F-35s and sell the plane to nine partner countries, including Australia.

In March last year, Australia threatened to pull put of the F-35 deal if the Australian version of the plane did not have the same sophisticated stealth technology as the US F-35s.

But in meetings in June between Dr Nelson and then US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Dr Nelson said he was "confident that all of our requirements will be met on the (F-35) JSF - the technology and data transfer".

Britain has also threatened to pull out of the F-35 project if the US does not share its stealth technology.

The F-22 and the F-35 are the world's only so-called fifth-generation aircraft, giving them high levels of stealth against enemy radar and infrared detection systems.

They also have highly sophisticated sensor systems allowing them to collect, process and share real-time battle data.

The Government has said it wants to replace the 1960s-era F-111s with a fifth-generation warplane rather than fourth-generation options currently in service around the world.

The Government has recently signalled its intention to buy or lease 24 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters from the US, to ensure there is no gap in air combat capability between the retirement of the F-111 from 2010 and the arrival of the F-35 from 2014.

it won't be ready in time to fill in the gap from the retiring f-4's

The F-22 is not for export now but might be in the future, I think Mr England indicated that when he said “our current position”. However I doubt it will be up for export for 1-3 decades.

The B-2 has been in service for a long time and hasn't been exported.

(1) First of all, there is no "BAN" on F-22 exports. There was. But it was lifted by congress circa June-July 2006 if I remember correctly or rather they did not act to renew the restriction that sunsets at that time.

Not according to this article, and note it's dated September 27th, 2006. There can be no request or review of F-22 foreign sales until this Congressional ban is lifted. Mr. England could not have said anything else regarding foreign sales even if he wanted to.