That works out to about $228 mil for each aircraft . Interesting, as below shows how senior defence officials have been deceiving elected officials about the cost of the program. “It’s about $37 million for the CTOL aircraft, which is the air force variant.” - Colonel Dwyer Dennis, U.S. JSF Program Office brief to Australian journalists, 2002- ". . . US$40 million dollars . . " -Senate Estimates/Media Air Commodore John Harvey, AM Angus Houston, Mr Mick Roche, USDM, 2003- " . . US$45 million in 2002 dollars . ." -JSCFADT/Senate Estimates, Air Commodore John Harvey, Mr Mick Roche, USDM, 2003/2004- ". . average unit recurring flyaway cost of the JSF will be around US$48 million, in 2002 dollars . . " -Senate Estimates/Press Club Briefing, Air Commodore John Harvey, 2006 ". . the JSF Price (for Australia) - US$55 million average for our aircraft . . in 2006 dollars . ." -Senate Estimates/Media AVM John Harvey ACM Angus Houston, Nov. 2006- “…DMO is budgeting around A$131 million in 2005 dollars as the unit procurement cost for the JSF. .” -AVM John Harvey Briefing, Office of the Minister for Defence, May 2007-

“…I would be surprised if the JSF cost us anymore than A$75 million … in 2008 dollars at an exchange rate of 0.92” -JSCFADT Dr Steve Gumley, CEO DMO, July 2008- ". . Dr Gumley's evidence on the cost of the JSF was for the average unit recurring flyaway cost for the Australian buy of 100 aircraft . ." -JSCFADT/Media AVM John Harvey, Aug. 2008- Confirmed previous advice i.e. A$75 million in 2008 dollars at an exchange rate of 0.92, -JSCFADT Dr Steve Gumley, CEO of the DMO, Sep. 2009- " ...about $77 million per copy." -Robert Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Feb. 2008.

Get a grip on yourself Eric, as I know that you would be the first to cry wolf when the RAAF is needed. I am an ex serving member of the military and I think more is needed to protect this Country. Mr Faulkner bring back the Fleet Air Arm as that would help a great deal. Although it would be expensive to setup but it would create a better protection for this country. Go Defence.

Waste of money. $3.2 billion would be better spent fixing our hospitals and schools.

Parccy, I want a strong Defence. However I do not want poor buying decisions on an aircraft that only has a little over 2 percent of its flight testing done. The program is so far behind as to be a serious worry. The big question is; what is Australia buying at this point? Answer; at this time no one knows as the aircraft is very early into it's development. Defence does not know what they are buying because they haven't done their homework on the program. They do not have enough solid information on the progress of the jet to make an intelligent buying decision. That is a problem.