THE FACTS
In his article of 7 Jan 09 in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Dr Dennis Jensen MP, Member for Tangney:
-- Maintains that Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) advocates continue to cite security restrictions to largely avoid answering questions about JSF capabilities.
-- Remains sceptical about Defence’s reporting of JSF costs.
-- Supports Air Power Australia (APA)’s recent assessment that the JSF is not as stealthy as claimed and can therefore not perform the missions for which it is designed.
-- Argues that the JSF’s reliance on its networking capabilities is flawed.
IN RESPONSE
Air Vice-Marshal J.P. Harvey, Program Manager New Air Combat Capability, says:
-- Defence has never claimed that the JSF contains “secret capabilities, the fundamentals of which are not known in the public domain”. Specific performance details of JSF capabilities are, however, highly classified and tightly controlled to protect US technology and avoid compromising a key defence capability.
-- Defence JSF cost estimates have been consistent and accurately stated throughout our involvement in the JSF Program. Defence’s New Air Combat Capability Project estimates have been based on official US JSF Program Office estimates plus considerable levels of contingency to cover acknowledged cost risk. Confusion remains in sections of the community, however, because there is no simple JSF project cost description as costs are dependent on what elements are included, the currency used, the exchange rate applicable and the reference year.
-- APA’s analysis of the JSF’s stealth characteristics is flawed based on a number of incorrect assumptions, simplistic modelling, lack of operational analysis and lack of knowledge of sensitive performance information.
-- Dr Jensen’s statement that ‘networking also requires transmission of data, and any transmissions can be detected and tracked, compromising the stealthiness of the transmitting platform’, is fundamentally incorrect.
Click here for the full statement (2 pages in PDF format) on the DMO website.
