Here 5 mins & Wow
China is 4,000 klms from Australia. Why are we even talking about China? I'm sorry if our friends down under get insulted by our not selling the most revolutionary airplane we ever made but keep it real, OK?
I didn't know any of these nations could threaten Australia? Should we have sent the Pacific fleet to protect the Netherlands in 1958 too? Konfrontasi? I cant believe you'd even mention that? East Timor?? How in hell was Australia threatened there? We dont send aircraft carriers to every failed Euro-empire bush war.
This is ridiculous and is turning into another "waaa-waaa-waaa We want F-22s" thread.
The reason we arent selling the thing is because we dont want anyone stealing the technology behind it. AND we dont want anyone having as ggod a fighter as we do. Live with it! Also you are fighting the GWOT for America. Your fighting it for Australia.
Ok guys,
Brand new here and an Aussie and over 40 and an ex-serviceman so guess this won't get posted completely if at all & couldn't care less 2 be honest.
Seriously I am always amused when kids come up with comments like the above quote. Obviously NO military service, obviously BELIEVES everything the USA has to spit out and more importantly has absolutely NO conecpt on the lessons taught by history even if from a purely military standpoint.
That the Yanks won't sell Australia Raptor is a sticking point, especially considering our joining in with nearly all of their dirty little wars since WW2. We obviously aren't THAT much of an ally, but what's new, we're talking about the same nation that has run roughshod over nationalist movements everywhere (providing they're communist backed) or cheered on psychotic fascists who are doing the same thing (Saddam? Ring a bell, US?)
As to whether we in Australia need some overpriced lemon like JSF or something ridiculously over tech like Raptor isn't the point. Some will agree here, those that don't... two words and the second is off!
Simply put, Australia is a Western oriented white nation (or at least it pretends to be) surrounded by either Muslim Asians (ie Indonesia, who also field a rather large army, BTW) or non-aligned Asians (ie countries who have forsaken their religion in the name of progress). In this arena, we have quite a lot of natural resources and a very small military. Any who were serving members of the Australian military in the 80s (ie myself) would quite easily remember that Indonesia was our greatest threat. It seems given the situation in East Timor, Bali and the region in general that this assumption still remains true.
Who trained the militias who were quite happily wandering around East Timor?? RPKAD or the Indo special forces, the same unit responsible for the initial invasion in '75 and quite possibly for the execution of the Australian journalists during that time.
Amrosi and the other psychos that would blow apart their own countrymen in an effort to kill Australian holiday makers come from where again??? O that's right, Indonesia.... seems to be a pattern forming here.
Name the country that will quite happily take our aid in times of natural disaster but not want our troops in peacekeeping roles in areas that said country has influence... You guessed it... Indonesia.
Rich, don't kno who you are, or where u are but you are obviously no student of history.
Kindest regards,
John