Our elected officials have rightly decided to take a closer look at the situation. Some days, the system does work. (see: "Our elected officials should reject the F-35, here is why")
Australia signed up in 2002 as a "level-3" participant in the program for $150M-U.S.
Ponzi-schemes start this way. At the time, Howard, Hill and Houston performed no credible analysis.
“It will be affordable because already there are 3,000 aircraft on the order books.”
—27 June 2002, Air Marshal Houston, Defence press announcement, Australia joins the F-35 program—
There were no "order books". Only fantasy.
"What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence."
Team triple-H even dismissed government caution.
THE STING
To date Australia has "secured" over $400M in F-35 business.
How much were we told we could get at the start of the program?
Read this whole story from 2002. So many quotables. But for now, let us look at the industry...
"Winning just 1 per cent of the project's work would be worth $4 billion to Australian industry, said Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane. But there are no guarantees of additional Australian involvement."
No "guarantee", but plenty were willing to push that to get our elected officials to back this large project.
How about $6B with another $3B in parts and services?
"Being a partner in the program, Australia industry has received over $300 million worth of supply contracts.
According to Lockheed Martin, this economic value expected to grow to $5-6 billion as production ramps up over the next three decades, with another $3 billion on top for maintenance and support parts."
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(click image to make larger)
TODAY:
How about $1.5B?
“Australian industry is well placed to capitalise on the Government’s investment in the program, winning US$432 million in contracts to date,” AVM Deeble says. “Australian industry stands to win in excess of $1.5 billion in JSF-related production and support work over the life of the JSF program.”
Is there a trend?
Australian small and medium enterprise has been under the gun with this program. Their investors believed the big numbers at the beginning. Where is the Australian company Production Parts today? It used to be on the charts showing Australian industry participation.
It is gone.
Here is an example of the challenges facing QuickStep, showing warning signs years ago. In 2002, do you think they believed the big number or the small number? What did they tell their investors? What did the entrenched defence bureaucracy--acting as de facto Lockheed Martin sales people--tell QuickStep, and others?
By now there should have been well over 460 F-35s.... delivered and on the ramp. That assumed...working, completely tested, aircraft. Full-rate production at well over 160 aircraft per year should have already been under way. With the program of record at 3000-some aircraft ending in 2028.
Today? A large collection of mistake-jets.
The idea that there will be thousands (of working) F-35s is a pipe dream. It is time for our elected officials to face some reality.
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