Liberal MP Dennis Jensen has launched an extraordinary attack on the Abbott government's multibillion-dollar purchase of fighter jets, suggesting his colleagues lacked the competency and the courage to stop the order.
"It's a dud decision," said Dr Jensen, a former Defence Department analyst, on Wednesday after the Abbott government revealed it had ordered 58 Joint Strike Fighters at a cost of $12 billion.
"No one has had the balls to call a halt to it or to even call for a full capability analysis against requirements."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott confirmed on Wednesday that Australia would join the US and a select few other countries in adopting the fifth-generation stealth fighter as the backbone of its air combat power.
On top of the two fighters that Australia has already paid for, and a further 12 that have been ordered, the large new purchase will deliver the Royal Australian Air Force three squadrons of the planes and cement its place as the dominant air power in the region.
But Dr Jensen, who has studied the Joint Strike Fighter for years, said the purchase of the planes had been a "bipartisan stuff up", set in train by the Howard government, continued under Labor and completed under his own government.
Dr Jensen said: "The last couple of [US operational testing] reports ... have shown very, very significant problems with this aircraft."
While most experts say the Joint Strike Fighter is set to be the most advanced fighter for years to come, critics have pointed out the many flaws, delays and cost overruns that have emerged during its development.
The Pentagon's Joint Strike Fighter boss, Lieutenant-General Chris Bogdan, said during a recent visit to Australia that many problems were still being ironed out, particularly the complex software – requiring more than 8 million lines of code – which he said was ''still a risky, risky business''.
He also said the planes were still unreliable and needed too much maintenance, with "pieces and parts ... coming off the airplane way too regularly because they are breaking".
Dr Jensen said: "Once you've made a decision like this, it takes more balls to actually say the emperor's got no clothes than to continue pretending that the emperor in fact has clothes.
"We should be ensuring that this aircraft is defined as fit for purpose before we purchase it.
"We haven't done that."
The West Australian MP said he had warned his colleagues about the Joint Strike Fighter purchase in the most recent party room meeting but lamented that Defence Minister David Johnston had said nothing.
"I wouldn't be critical of the Defence Minister only," Dr Jensen said. "It shows a lack of judgment on so many levels."
Successive Australian defence ministers had lacked the "technical expertise" to cut through Lockheed Martin's "extremely convincing" sales pitches, Dr Jensen said.
He also blamed Defence Department officials, whom he said had been "acting as salesmen for the Joint Strike Fighter" rather than doing their jobs and being "critical buyers".
Responding to the criticisms, a spokesman for the Defence Minister said: "Obviously Mr Jensen's views do not reflect those of the Coalition government."
The first Joint Strike Fighter – also called the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II – will be delivered in 2018 and begin service with the RAAF in 2020.
In making the announcement, Mr Abbott said: "The fifth-generation F-35 is the most advanced fighter in production anywhere in the world and will make a vital contribution to our national security."
Senator Johnston said the purchases would give Australia’s air combat capability ‘‘the sort of technological edge that it must continue to have’’.
He said on Wednesday that the Joint Strike Fighters had "no identifiable rival".
The spending comes less than a month before Treasurer Joe Hockey delivers a budget with expected cuts to health and welfare, saying the money for the fighters had been put aside since the government’s initial order of 14 aircraft.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten backed the decision, saying the previous Labor government believed the Joint Strike Fighter was the ‘‘right way to go’’.
The lifetime cost of the new batch of fighters, which includes maintenance, weapons and spares, will reach $12.4 billion, making it one of Australia's most expensivemilitary acquisitions alongside the Collins Class submarine and the long-retired aircraft carriers.
The JSF will replace the ageing Hornet F/A-18, which is due to be retired from 2022. It means the RAAF will have a mixed fleet of fighters for the foreseeable future, with the JSF operating alongside 24 Super Hornets and 12 Growler radar-jamming aircraft.
The purchase continues the direction set out by the previous Labor government's 2013 Defence White Paper, which foreshadowed three operational squadrons beginning from 2020.
But not everyone from Labor welcomed the purchase. West Australian senator Sue Lines tweeted on Wednesday: "12bl+ on fighter planes, PPL for the rich, paid for cuts to welfare, charge on Dr visits. Disgraceful!"
Acting Greens leader Adam Bandt agreed with Dr Jensen, saying the planes were wasteful spending "at a time of supposed budget restraint".
"Tony Abbott’s priority should be pensions not poorly performing planes," Mr Bandt added.
