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howard: strong on stupid defence
Oct. 1st, 2006 10:35 pmThe Bulletin eviscerates the Howard government's defence purchases - we're spending $100B in the next 10 years to buy:
Second-hand US tanks ($550M) which are too heavy for our own roads and bridges, which need new land transports ($3.1B), which are completely unsuited for almost any use in the region, and for which we have to buy new planes ($1.94B) and 2 huge new ships ($2B) to let even leave the country;
Three Air Warfare Destroyers ($6B) to defend our non-existent Navy main battle groups, and which again have no conceivable use in any regional conflict;
The Joint Strike Fighter, at $130M each. This plane still hasn't flown yet, and is a combined fighter/bomber. If it's delayed (very likely) we'll be left with the ancient F-111 and not-quiet-but-almost-ancient F/A-18s. Oh - and it was originally supposed to cost $40M each. So it's more than tripled, before any have been finished. Great! I'm sure it won't go up in price even more.
The Australian armed forces are important. We have a bunch of extremely fragile nations on our doorstep, and no matter how you look at it, we bear some responsibility towards helping them if they fall over. Look at East Timor, for instance. And, as the Bulletin points out, if and when PNG finally descends into chaos, it's extremely likely it will be Australia (and to a lesser extent NZ) that has to go in and restore order. Guess how useful our Air Warfare Destroyers or our precious expensive tanks will be? That's right, fuck-all.
They will help Howard, however, when he wants to play in the next episode of George's Great Middle-East Adventure.
I'm not sure how much credence to give it, but the Bulletin piece does make it look like defense minister Brendan Nelson is doing some good there. I'm doubtful - everything I've seen of Nelson says he's a vainglorious hack. And the Defence Department's record on major purchase programs has been nothing short of fucking terrible.
Second-hand US tanks ($550M) which are too heavy for our own roads and bridges, which need new land transports ($3.1B), which are completely unsuited for almost any use in the region, and for which we have to buy new planes ($1.94B) and 2 huge new ships ($2B) to let even leave the country;
Three Air Warfare Destroyers ($6B) to defend our non-existent Navy main battle groups, and which again have no conceivable use in any regional conflict;
The Joint Strike Fighter, at $130M each. This plane still hasn't flown yet, and is a combined fighter/bomber. If it's delayed (very likely) we'll be left with the ancient F-111 and not-quiet-but-almost-ancient F/A-18s. Oh - and it was originally supposed to cost $40M each. So it's more than tripled, before any have been finished. Great! I'm sure it won't go up in price even more.
The Australian armed forces are important. We have a bunch of extremely fragile nations on our doorstep, and no matter how you look at it, we bear some responsibility towards helping them if they fall over. Look at East Timor, for instance. And, as the Bulletin points out, if and when PNG finally descends into chaos, it's extremely likely it will be Australia (and to a lesser extent NZ) that has to go in and restore order. Guess how useful our Air Warfare Destroyers or our precious expensive tanks will be? That's right, fuck-all.
They will help Howard, however, when he wants to play in the next episode of George's Great Middle-East Adventure.
I'm not sure how much credence to give it, but the Bulletin piece does make it look like defense minister Brendan Nelson is doing some good there. I'm doubtful - everything I've seen of Nelson says he's a vainglorious hack. And the Defence Department's record on major purchase programs has been nothing short of fucking terrible.
