Julia Gillard launching the 2013 Defence White Paper in Canberra today. Picture: Ramage Gary Source: News Limited
AUSTRALIA will purchase 12 new electronic warfare fighter planes to cover the delays in the Joint Strike Fighter project, Julia Gillard has announced.
The Prime Minister this morning unveiled the 2013 Defence White Paper and said $1.5 billion would be allocated over four years to make the aircraft purchases.
Ms Gillard said the JSF program had experienced cost overruns and delays and in order to cover the gap in capability 12 Growler aircraft would be added to Australia's fleet.
The Prime Minister made the announcement along with Defence Minister Stephen Smith who said Australia would be ''the only country outside of the US'' to have access to the Growler planes - an electronic version of the super hornet.
Last year it was announced in the budget that 12 of the first 14 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters would be delayed by two years, creating a potential gap in Australia's air force capability.
The first three of the JSF fleet are now not expected to arrive in Australia until 2020.
''Defence remains committed to the JSF program and anticipate its delivery,'' Ms Gillard said.
In addition to the aircraft announcement Ms Gillard also outlined a $25.5m plan to improve mental health services for serving and ex-serving troops.
She said work on ''off-the-shelf'' submarine options would be suspended and the focus would turn onto looking at creating an ''evolved Collins class or entirely new design''.
''Decisions about Defence, however cannot be made in isolation of our fiscal position,'' Ms Gillard said.
She said the government would seek to increase spending to 2 per cent of GDP ''when fiscal circumstances allow''.
Both Ms Gillard and Mr Smith said there would not be any cut to the overall Defence budget, in light of last year's $5.5 billion purge.
''Defence spending will rise in absolute terms,'' Ms Gillard said.
''Once again we have allocated more than $100 billion to defence over the forward estimates period.''
Ms Gillard said the white paper ''reaffirms the central and enduring importance of our alliance relationship with the United States''.
It also underscores the deeper Defence partnerships in the region, including with China, she said.
''We welcome China's rise,'' Ms Gillard said.
''We seek to have a constructive and co-operative relationship with China. We also recognise that China's rise and military organisation is pivotal to our region.
''Our posture here is one of continuity.''
Ms Gillard said the government remained committed to manufacturing 12 advanced new submarines in South Australia.
However, due to the need for detailed design analysis, any further work on buying an existing or modified overseas model was off the table because it was unlikely to meet Australian requirements.
The government would work on the remaining two options - an all-new design or an evolution of the existing Collins-class submarines.
KEY POINTS OF THE 2013 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER
Main technology decisions:
Australia remains committed to buying the advanced Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter;
Australia to buy an additional 12 Boeing Super Hornets, configured in the electronic warfare Growler version, giving the RAAF a total of 36;
Government committed to buying 12 new submarines, based on an evolved version of the Collins class. Rules out buying an existing model from a European manufacturer;
Navy supply ships HMAS Sirius and HMAS Success will be replaced;
Government to ramp up plans to replace the navy's Armidale-class patrol boats;
No plans for a fourth air warfare destroyer.
Overall thrust of the White paper:
More conciliatory to China than the 2009 White Paper;
Welcomes China's rise and the modernisation of its military as a legitimate outcome of its growth;
Unlike the 2009 White Paper, new document makes no commitment to a particular level of defence funding;
Government committed to fiscal discipline and wants a defence budget that meets operational requirements
Source: Federal Government
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