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The senior Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) officer responsible for the planned purchase of Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) jets was Friday challenged to a public debate on the issue after he dismissed criticism of the plane.
Air Vice-Marshal John Harvey, in a statement on the Defence Materiel Organisation website, refuted allegations about the unsuitability of the JSF for Australia from Federal Member for Tangney Dennis Jensen.
“But his statement is a denial without significance,” Dr Jensen said Friday.
“He is evasive at times, misrepresents my allegations in some cases, and is simply wrong on other points.
“I challenge Air Vice-Marshal Harvey to debate this issue with me in public. If he is so sure of his information on the JSF, then no doubt he will have the bottle to stand before the Australian people and be taken to task.
“I know of the unparalleled bravery of the men and women of Australia’s armed forces, but does this senior commander have the same level of courage?”
Air Vice-Marshal Harvey’s comments came in response to an opinion piece by Dr Jensen which was published in the Australian Financial Review on Wednesday.
In that article, Dr Jensen raised a series of major concerns about the RAAF plan to buy up to 100 JSFs at a cost of perhaps more than $20 billion, the biggest single defence purchase ever made by Australia.
He derided claims that for reasons of “secrecy” the JSF’s capabilities could not be discussed, poured scorn on projected costings for the aircraft and questioned whether its stealthiness would prevent it from being vulnerable to new weapons and tactics.
“Should Australia bet its future sovereignty on an aircraft which is deficient in every key respect? I think not,” he concluded.
(January 9, 2009)
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