In terms of getting in trouble with the government the interesting part for me was his argument against a new offshore build.Would be even better if he laid out how BAE could deliver more Hunters sooner.
But I guess he might get in trouble with the government if he put that on the table. Or maybe it’s just not possible to accelerate the Hunter build…
If he had a classified industry brief of the surface fleet review and it recommended an offshore build and/or a new design then it would be incautious (and pointless) to divulge that by arguing against it (or trying to influence government response) by writing in The Australian over his name (he’s not going to jail but he’s not helping his company).
Shaping public opinion (with government blessing) for Hunter DDGs?