MARK DODD
THE Gillard government looks set to save more than $3 billion in the budget by deferring or axing a clutch of defence programs, with the Royal Australian Air Force likely to bear the brunt, experts said yesterday.
A long-delayed decision on a $1bn self-propelled artillery purchase for the army looms as a prime candidate for the budget chopping block.
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| F-35 Lightning |
Bigger savings could be made by deferring other major military programs including the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Analysts say that every year Defence Minister Stephen Smith stalls on the $16bn JSF program, an ambitious acquisition for 100 stealth-equipped strike aircraft, it saves $500m.
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| C-27J Spartan |
Mr Smith is also likely to defer upgrading 12 pre-wired F/A-18F Super Hornets to the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare variant despite buying $19 million of equipment to enable the conversion.
The government has been dragging its feet on a $1bn replacement for the Caribou transport, a decision complicated by the RAAF's desire for the Italian-made C-27J Spartan ahead of Airbus Military's cheaper off-the-shelf C-295.
Read the full story at The Australian