Issue 348: Being Prepared

Australian industry readies to support the RAAF’s F-35s

Australia’s new F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs) start arriving in country late next year – and then we’ll have to start looking after them.

This will be a lifetime commitment and the overall cost of sustainment will dwarf the F-35’s planned $17 billion acquisition budget for 72 jets. But it will also offer unparalleled opportunities for Australian industry to be part of the global F-35 support network.