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Updated: Sun Aug 29 16:43:38 UTC 2010
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APA NOTAMS ISSN 1836-7135
JSF, F-22, C-17 and the Hon Robert Gates:
“Next war-itis” – Yet another dose of ‘alternate reality’
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Air Power
Australia - Australia's Independent Defence Think Tank
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Air Power Australia NOTAM
17th April,
2009
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Peter Goon, BEng (Mech), FTE
(USNTPS),
Head of Test and Evaluation, Air Power
Australia
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| Contacts: |
Peter
Goon
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Carlo
Kopp |
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Mob:
0419-806-476 |
Mob:
0437-478-224 |
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The C-17 airlifter is to be killed off in
the 2010 budget proposed by the Hon Robert Gates, SecDef (US DoD image).
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The C-17 airlifter
has been used to great effect in two of the theatres of the ‘global war
on terrorism’, in Iraq and Afghanistan; yet, according to the Hon
Robert
Gates, this magnificent machine with its superior capability and
enormous capacity to
support troops around the globe is to suffer the same fate as the F-22A
Raptor.
When I
wore the uniform of the
Royal Australian Air Force, our leadership told us that our job was to
be so
capable and so well prepared that others wouldn’t even think about
taking
us on, or deny us the ability, let alone the right, to protect our
Nation's interests. This is one of the simple
and, until recently, well understood ways that peace loving nations
ensured the
maintenance and sustainment of that peace. In
the world of the strategic analyst, it is known as the ‘deterrent strategy’. To
most of us, it simply
means following the common sense adage so well articulated by Theodore
Roosevelt: “speak softly and carry a big stick....”
In my
time in uniform and
since, some of the most ardent and dedicated pacifists I have known
wore the
uniform of their nation’s defence forces for they truly believed and
demonstrated their belief through their career choices in following the
cause for peace through
that other adage of “If
you want peace, prepare for war” (Vegetius,
390 AD).
However,
in this age of
marketing spin and sophistry, this noble cause which many have
committed their
lives to uphold has been slandered with a new name to create yet
another
‘alternate reality’ to justify an agenda which, in itself, is the
antithesis of the national interest which this noble cause represents.
No
better example of this agenda can be seen in the ‘must not be
allowed to fail’ promotion of the very risky, very
expensive, yet to be proven JSF F-35A aircraft program over the far
more
capable, far more
cost effective, far less risky F-22A Raptor.
The term – “next
war-itis” – is yet another example of
what Emeritus
Professor Harry G Frankfurt defined as “a total indifference to
what
is real”.
Now some
may say these comments are ‘a tad emotive’ and should be re-struck in
the form of a politically correct plea devoid of any passion that
recognises the
status, sensibilities and intelligence of those who have coined the
term “next
war-itis”. To
remain true to my beliefs, this I cannot do, since to
do so would be denying
the passion this matter rightfully demands. It would also be
showing a total indifference to the
fact
that the term “next
war-itis” is an insult to all who wear or
have
worn the military uniforms of peace loving nations.
An apology would be a good start from those
responsible for this wrong.
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Air
Power Australia Website - http://www.ausairpower.net/
Air Power Australia Research and
Analysis - http://www.ausairpower.net/research.html
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