A Question of Choice and Strategy - F-35A Acquisition

“You don’t drive your Ferrari to work every day, you only drive it on Sundays. This is our ‘high end’ [fighter], we want to make sure we don’t use it all for the low-end fight”. - Charles Brown Jr

A Question of Choice and Strategy - Australia’s F-35A Acquisition

As the F-35A Lightning II assumes the role of Australia’s core fighter jet, debate around its acquisition rages. The F-35A should be seen as a necessary acquisition that fulfills a ‘jack of all trades, fighter’ role for the RAAF. Limited by resources and size the F-35A was the best, and largely only, option available to the ADF that guaranteed long term Defence interests.

Having an estimated per unit cost of $126 million1, ballooning to $475 millionper unit when factoring in lifetime support, it would appear the Australian Government has opted for a garage of 72 Ferrari’s to replace the F/A-18 Classic Hornet – but is this necessarily a mistake? Critiques regarding cost3 , capability4 and relevance5 of the F-35A program contain some merit in their arguments. Even the USAF, who house the world’s most advance air platforms, estimated that, despite the F-35A, by 20305 they would “not [be] capable of fighting and winning against … potential adversary capabilities”.

The first question to ask is one of choice – what was the alternative to the F-35A? In light of cost and timeline concerns commentators have suggested a wide range of alternatives. These range from airframe alternatives such as the F-22 Raptor6 to waiting until 2030 to take advantage of unmanned autonomous systems. In terms of F-22’s, removed from the fact that the US have never exported a single airframe7, the costs associated with restarting their production was so high8 that even the USAF deemed it unreasonable. Other options, like F-16 Falcon or F-15 Eagle, would certainly be more cost effective however they are not up to scratch capability wise. As 4th generation platforms the F-16 or F-15 are unsuited to the modern battlespace where stealth and sensor integration is becoming critical.

Future unmanned systems will be crucial force multipliers for the RAAF, however they are also not a reasonable alternative to the F-35A. As Chief of Air Force, Mel Hupfeld has noted9, systems such as Boeing’s Loyal Wingman, of which Australia may purchase three10, inherently form part of “a manned-unmanned team approach”. As such, it has been specifically designed to work alongside a manned fighter platform, not in replacement of one. This synergy, which relies on sensor integration and advanced programming, is inherently suited to the F-35A when compared to a more traditional fighter such as the F-16 due to a focus on interoperability and ISR capabilities. Perhaps beyond 2040, when it is first expected the RAAF will consider an F-35A replacement11, the technology and trust in unmanned systems will see them as a viable alternative to manned 5th gen platforms – but that is not the case currently. To make the most of developing unmanned technology the RAAF requires the most advanced fighter available, which arguably was (and is) the F-35A.

The second major question to address is one of strategy. As early as 2006 Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of Strategy predicted that;

“The F-35A would be four times

more effective than legacy fighters in air-to-air combat, eight times more effective in air-to-ground combat, and three times more effective in reconnaissance and suppression of enemy air defences.”

In essence if an aircraft can handle the high end of the conflict spectrum it can subsequently handle the low-end. As a small force the RAAF does not have the same luxury of variety that the USAF enjoys. When our entire F-35A fleet could be housed on a single US aircraft carrier12 our jets should fulfil our most pressing strategic objectives at the cost of lesser goals. Designed expressly for high-end, high-tech conflict13 Australia’s F-35 acquisition suggests a priority shift away from low intensity conflicts, such as the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns in which the F/A-18 served. While they may be used in similar counter-insurgency operations, that is certainly not their key role.

The 2020 Defence Strategic Update14 makes clear that military modernization in the Indo-Pacific has accelerated faster than envisaged. Regional actors such as China are increasingly acquiring and building their own advanced jets, as seen with recent Shenyang J-1615 and Chengdu J-2016 advancements. Subsequently the future battle space is unlikely to replicate the environment of air supremacy experienced in the Middle East. Therefore the procurement of jets tailored to this dynamic makes little sense. Acquired long before the ‘drums of war17’ began beating, the F-35A is a tangible indicator of the ADF’s long term concern of fighting a modern war – as it should be. While the F-35A can contribute to the ‘lowend fights’ experienced in the Middle East, outboard weapon stations and a 25mm cannon see to that, this would fulfil General Brown's concern of daily driving our Ferrari’s. To prevent this the 23 strong fleet of F/A-18F Super Hornets will likely act as the daily driven ‘Ford’ to the F-35s weekender ‘Ferrari’ until their end of life in 2030. Beyond this point it is possible, as ASPI suggest, that a further F-35 squadron may follow18. However, should the ADF still desire aircraft suited to the low-end fights of the past two decades, which have a focus on CAS and strike, alternatives such as F-15E Strike Eagle will need to be explored.

With the modern airspace beginning to contain advanced fighter platforms, such as China’s J-20 and Russia’s PAK-FA, Australia has kept ahead by acquiring the F-35A. With national strategy preparing for the possibility of high-intensity conflict as an immediate concern the F-35A stands out as the most preferable choice. That the F-35 program was likely designed as a replacement for the F-16 and F-18A/B, and that it presents a significant jump to 5th generation capabilities, signing on to the F-35A program was a sensible way to progress Australian airpower – albeit in an environment with few other choices.

Jack Ryan Air and Space Power Centre

Defence images.

1. Toohey, B. (2020) King of Lemons Australia swindled by Lockheed Martin and its joint strike fighter, Michael West Media: Independent Journalists, 26 Sep 2020 2. Hebert, A. (2011) Lies, Damn Lies, and the TrillionDollar F-35, Air Force Magazine, 1 Jul 2011 3. Thorn, A. (2021) Comment: Should Australia explore alternatives to an F-35 top-up?, Australian Aviation, 27 May 2021. 4. Axe, D. (2021) The U.S. Air Force Just Admitted The F-35 Stealth Fighter Has Failed, Forbes, 23 Feb 2021 5. Enterprise Capability Collaboration Team (2016) Air superiority 2030 flight plan, US Air Force, May 2016 6. Kuper, S. (2020) US President allegedly approves sale of upgraded F-22 to Israel, Defence Connect, 3 Nov 2020 7. Makichuk, D. (2020) Why no foreign nation can buy the F-22 Raptor, Asia Times, 7 Apr 2020 8. Hollings, A. (2021) Why the US can’t just start building more F-22s, Business Insider, 29 Jun 2021 9. Reichmann, K. (2021) Loyal Wingman Takes First Flight in Australia, Aviation Today, 2 Mar 2021 10. Green, A. (2021) Australian-made Loyal Wingman air combat drone with AI-driven targeting system completes first test flight, ABC News, 2 Mar 2021 11. Australian Department of Defence (2020) 2020 Force Structure Plan, Commonwealth of Australia, 18 Jun 2020 12. Editorial Team, How Many Planes Does an Aircraft Carrier Hold? (Countries Compared), Aero Corner, 13. Lockheed Martin, F-35 Lightning II, 14. Australian Department of Defence (2020) 2020 Defence Strategic Update, Commonwealth of Australia, 1 Jul 2020 15. Yeo, M. (2021) China to show off its new electronicattack jet, Defence News, 25 Sep 2021 16. Xuanzun, L., Sheng, Y., Wei, F., Shumei, L. and Luwen, L. (2021) China’s J-20 stealth fighters with domestic engines dazzle crowd at Airshow China opening, GT Global Times, 28 Sep 2021 17. DW Contributor (2021) Australia: Security official warns of ‘drums of war’, DW Akademie, 27 Apr 2021 18. Davis, M. (2020) Australia’s air force should already be planning to replace the F-35, ASPI: The Strategist, 19 Aug 2020

E-Plas Providing Innovative Solutions in Plastics for 40 Years

Australian owned industry leader, E-Plas, engineering and performance plastics specialists, have been providing innovative solutions to a wide range of Aussie businesses for 40+ years. Offering decades of invaluable experience and expertise.

E-Plas Victoria and E-Plas Manufacturing are based at our flagship premises in Ravenhall, Victoria with

E-Plas Branches in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. Our branches also provide service to the Northern Territory, ACT and Tasmania, as well as overseas clients in the Pacific and South East Asia region.

E-Plas supplies many, varied industries, each with their own unique demands. From orthotics and nuclear medicine to mining, ship building, transport, manufacturing, food production, bulk handling and many more. This broad business base provides E-Plas with a strong and sustainable foundation from which we continue to grow and adapt to an everchanging industrial landscape. This includes supplying many specialised polymer materials suitable for critical applications specific to the aeronautics and defence industries.

We offer a number of advanced engineering plastics suitable for critical aeronautical applications. For example, PEEK or Poly Ether Ether Keytone, which has exceptional mechanical properties including high strength and a very wide temperature range, performing very well in extreme heat through to extreme cold.

Another outstanding performer in aeronautical applications is Sustamid FR. This is a flame retardant Nylon for demanding applications where fire is an extreme hazard.

We have many invaluable antistatic materials in our Tivar UHMW-PE range from MCAM, such as Tivar 1000 ESD. The ESD stands for electrostatic dissipative. Also, TIVAR® ECO UHMW-PE which exhibits excellent abrasion and corrosion resistance, outstanding impact strength, minimal moisture absorption and a low coefficient of friction. Other specialised products include Tivar AST which is an anti-static ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene with extra dimensional stability. Our Rochling Sustaplast range includes a number of anti-static Acetal (POM) materials including three different grades of Sustarin C ESD from anti-static through to conductive.

Our range also includes

RAAF Hornet. Dreamstime image.

top performing PTFE, HDPE, Polypropylene, Polycarbonate and Acrylic and we are able to source many other advanced polymers for specific applications as required.

We are local manufacturers, making custom machined components at our main facility in Ravenhall. E-Plas Manufacturing’s highly skilled team of CNC engineers perform the invaluable role of transforming our customers concepts into reality. From one-off samples and machinery replacement parts to large scale production runs, we are here to realise your finished product.

An ISO 9001 certified business we pride ourselves on our long standing, strong relationships with top international certified polymer manufacturers such as German based producers Rochling Sustaplast and Rochling Engineering and global giants Mitsubishi Chemicals Advanced Materials. High level technical support and advice is readily available through our suppliers who work closely with E-Plas to provide our customers with the best plastic material solution.

E-Plas takes pride in our longstanding quality certification, strong local stock holdings, best quality plastics, manufacturing and service.