{"id":8986,"date":"2022-03-10T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?p=8986"},"modified":"2023-08-06T15:41:45","modified_gmt":"2023-08-06T05:41:45","slug":"australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/tag\/peter-layton\/\">PETER LAYTON<\/a>\u00a0|   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s a problem with Australia\u2019s brand new fighter jet\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theaustralian.com.au\/nation\/defence\/defence-revises-down-planned-availability-of-the-f35a-jet-fleet\/news-story\/a4ea7c4a3437da068aefc63c2a8b15d2\">it\u2019s just not that reliable<\/a>. As a result, it flies about 25 per cent less than it should. Less flying means fewer well-trained pilots, but it also hints at other problems lurking in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everybody who buys a house or apartment off the plan knows there may be some surprises along the way. Australia\u2019s fighter jets are the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Australia bought these jets<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia committed to its new F-35 fighters&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aph.gov.au\/About_Parliament\/Parliamentary_Departments\/Parliamentary_Library\/pubs\/BN\/2012-2013\/JointStrikeFighter\">off the plan in 2002<\/a>. At the time, the F-35 was still a twinkle in the eyes of Lockheed Martin\u2019s marketers. The US and several European countries had commissioned the aerospace company to design, build and manufacture the F-35, with the first step being a prototype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia\u2019s plan was to buy four squadrons\u2014about 72 jets in total\u2014at a cost of around A$16 billion. The F-35 was intended to replace the air force\u2019s ageing Hornet fighters and F-111 bombers. And back in 2002, when Middle East wars were raging, a short-range stealth fighter seemed more than adequate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But by 2010, with China firmly on the rise, it became apparent this was a poor strategy. In retrospect, a key error was looking at the F-35 simply as a replacement aircraft without first assessing the changing strategic environment. But by then, too much money had been sunk into the F-35 program to change course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, the F-35 development ran late, and the first tranches of Australia\u2019s fleet weren\u2019t ready to be deployed on operations until&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.minister.defence.gov.au\/minister\/lreynolds\/media-releases\/australian-f-35a-lightning-ii-achieves-initial-operational\">December 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/449678\/original\/file-20220303-23-1hlbfng.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"Scott Morrison inside an F-35 fighter jet.\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a ceremony to welcome the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to BAE Systems Australia near Newcastle.&nbsp;Darren Pateman\/AAP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Escalating problems<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Building the aircraft proved harder than anticipated and this inexorably fed into higher costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much of the money that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.usni.org\/2021\/04\/22\/hasc-congress-let-dod-buy-too-many-f-35-fighters-but-not-enough-f-35-spares-sustainment\">should have been spent<\/a>&nbsp;on building the maintenance support system went into trying to fix the aircraft\u2019s continuing hardware and software problems. Accordingly, there are now&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcemag.com\/usaf-to-cut-f-35-buy-in-future-years-defense-plan\/\">fewer depots<\/a>&nbsp;to fix broken parts and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2019\/04\/25\/government-watchdog-finds-more-problems-with-f-35s-spare-parts-pipeline\/\">fewer spare parts<\/a>&nbsp;than there should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Little of this is in Australia\u2019s control. America\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.anao.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/Auditor-General_Report_2018-2019_14.pdf\">global support solution<\/a>&nbsp;(GSS) is used to keeping Australia\u2019s F-35 fleet flying. The GSS manages spare parts, maintenance, supply chain support, training systems and engineering. But the program is new, creating problems both now and into the next decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was a second compounding problem arising from the drawn-out development process: the F-35 jets were constructed at different times over the past ten years in seven different configurations. Think about the maintenance staff having to repair individual aircraft in a large fleet with no single standard configuration. Every repair is an adventure\u2014and a learning experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The configuration complexity, insufficient spare parts and slow spare part repair times mean there are fewer serviceable aircraft&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcemag.com\/article\/make-or-break-time-for-the-f-35\/\">on the flight line now<\/a>&nbsp;than was expected even a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2019,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.org.au\/buddy-can-you-spare-some-spares-sustainment-challenges-for-the-f-35\/\">the Department of Defence estimated<\/a>&nbsp;the F-35 fleet would fly 11,800 hours in the fiscal year 2021-22.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/defence.gov.au\/Budget\/21-22\/2021-22_Defence_PAES_00_Complete.pdf\">The real figure<\/a>, however, is 3,000 hours below that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In simple terms, Australia is short the flying hours needed to keep a squadron\u2019s worth of pilots combat-ready. This is very worrying, as Australia only has three operational F-35 squadrons in total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Continuous upgrades at tremendous cost<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A perfect solution to this is probably not possible. For example, the two F-35 aircraft Australia bought in 2013 for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.anao.gov.au\/file\/32387\/download?token=g-XIvdoM\">more than A$280 million<\/a>&nbsp;are now arguably too old to be upgraded to the current configuration. In terms of flying combat missions, these two aircraft are obsolete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The US Air Force&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedrive.com\/the-war-zone\/40783\/early-f-35as-may-get-axed-even-though-overall-readiness-has-improved-significantly\">frets its similarly old F-35s<\/a>&nbsp;are now just crushingly expensive training aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of Australia\u2019s fleet is planned to be upgraded to be broadly similar to the US fleet, although this will cost even more money. It may seem strange to have to pay extra to upgrade a brand new aircraft on delivery, but that\u2019s not the end of the problems. There is another complication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia\u2019s latest F-35s (as well as the upgraded older ones) use&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.anao.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/Auditor-General_Report_2021-22_13_a_0.pdf\">the Block 3F software<\/a>, a digital operating system designed by Lockheed Martin. It is proving to be just as costly to keep updated as the jets themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lt. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote, the US Air Force\u2019s deputy chief of staff, has serious concerns about the outdated software,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.military.com\/daily-news\/2021\/05\/24\/air-force-could-ditch-oldest-f-35-jets-part-of-fighter-downsizing-general-says.html\">saying last year<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">the block that is coming off the line right now is not a block that I feel good about going up against China and Russia.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He noted recent war games focused on the prospect of defending Taiwan from Chinese air attacks&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/training-sim\/2021\/04\/12\/a-us-air-force-war-game-shows-what-the-service-needs-to-hold-off-or-win-against-china-in-2030\/\">showed<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every [F-35] that rolls off the line today is a fighter that we wouldn\u2019t even bother putting into these scenarios.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means Australia\u2019s F-35s appear not to be as good as the potential opposition. It seems Australia is paying to lose the air combat battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The only solution: another upgrade<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, what is the solution to these seemingly intractable and eye-wateringly expensive problems?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lockheed Martin is advocating a major operating system software upgrade: the Block 4. It might not be surprising to hear this is now&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcemag.com\/gao-f-35-block-4-will-keep-slipping-without-realistic-work-estimates\/\">running years late<\/a>, with delivery expected in 2027 or later. It is also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/assets\/gao-21-105282.pdf\">significantly over budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a small piece of good news, the last nine F-35 aircraft Australia will get off the production line next year, and maybe partly Block 4 compatible. Hinote thinks these F-35s might be capable of fighting against first-rate adversaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Read more:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/with-china-us-tensions-on-the-rise-does-australia-need-a-new-defence-strategy-106515\">With China-US tensions on the rise, does Australia need a new defence strategy?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bad news is the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2021\/10\/f-35-engine-rivals-prepare-for-another-clash\/\">full Block 4 upgrade now requires<\/a>&nbsp;a major engine upgrade or even a new engine. So, this means Australia\u2019s current F-35 fleet might not be able to use all the Block 4 software until after 2030 \u2013 and at a substantial cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Buying another hugely expensive upgrade for a brand new fighter is actually the cheap way out. The US Air Force\u2019s focus&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcemag.com\/article\/make-or-break-time-for-the-f-35\/\">is already shifting<\/a>&nbsp;to the Block 4 upgraded aircraft. Countries like ours with older F-35s will be left to fend for ourselves if we don\u2019t embrace the new technology, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the costs do keeping going up, and the problems with these F-35 jets haven\u2019t seemed to stop. It\u2019s the price of buying off the plan, which anyone who\u2019s bought a house or apartment would surely know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PETER LAYTON\u00a0| There\u2019s a problem with Australia\u2019s brand new fighter jet\u2014it\u2019s just not that reliable. As a result, it flies about 25 per cent less than it should. Less flying means fewer well-trained pilots, but it also hints at other problems lurking in the background. Everybody who buys a house or apartment off the plan [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":8987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1053,245],"tags":[1115,284,1663,1082],"class_list":["post-8986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-china-and-north-east-asia","tag-air-security","tag-china","tag-f-35","tag-peter-layton"],"acf":[],"modified_by":null,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them | Griffith Asia Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"PETER LAYTON\u00a0| There\u2019s a problem with Australia\u2019s brand new fighter jet\u2014it\u2019s just not that reliable. As a result, it flies about 25 per cent less than it\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them | Griffith Asia Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PETER LAYTON\u00a0| There\u2019s a problem with Australia\u2019s brand new fighter jet\u2014it\u2019s just not that reliable. As a result, it flies about 25 per cent less than it\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Griffith Asia Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-03-09T22:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-06T05:41:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/F-35A.jpg?fit=900%2C500&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Griffith Asia Institute\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GAIGriffith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GAIGriffith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Griffith Asia Institute\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8121b8aa336749474cbaca380c03029a\"},\"headline\":\"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-09T22:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-06T05:41:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1115,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/F-35A.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Air Security\",\"China\",\"F-35\",\"Peter Layton\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Region | Australia\",\"Region | China and Northeast Asia\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/\",\"name\":\"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them | Griffith Asia Insights\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/F-35A.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-09T22:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-06T05:41:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"PETER LAYTON\u00a0| There\u2019s a problem with Australia\u2019s brand new fighter jet\u2014it\u2019s just not that reliable. As a result, it flies about 25 per cent less than it\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/F-35A.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/03\\\/F-35A.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"An F-35A Lightning II aircraft outside of the BAE Systems maintenance hangar near RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales. (Image: ADF | CPL Craig Barrett)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/\",\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Insights\",\"description\":\"Asia Insights is published by the Griffith Asia Institute. It offers latest commentary on Asia-Pacific affairs and aims to inform and foster academic scholarship, public awareness and considered and responsive policy making.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1\",\"width\":2930,\"height\":308,\"caption\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/griffithasiainstitute\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/GAIGriffith\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8121b8aa336749474cbaca380c03029a\",\"name\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Griffith Asia Institute\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\\\/asiainsights\\\/author\\\/gaigriffith-edu-au\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them | Griffith Asia Insights","description":"PETER LAYTON\u00a0| There\u2019s a problem with Australia\u2019s brand new fighter jet\u2014it\u2019s just not that reliable. As a result, it flies about 25 per cent less than it","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them | Griffith Asia Insights","og_description":"PETER LAYTON\u00a0| There\u2019s a problem with Australia\u2019s brand new fighter jet\u2014it\u2019s just not that reliable. As a result, it flies about 25 per cent less than it","og_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/","og_site_name":"Griffith Asia Insights","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/","article_published_time":"2022-03-09T22:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-06T05:41:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/F-35A.jpg?fit=900%2C500&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Griffith Asia Institute","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GAIGriffith","twitter_site":"@GAIGriffith","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Griffith Asia Institute","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/"},"author":{"name":"Griffith Asia Institute","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/person\/8121b8aa336749474cbaca380c03029a"},"headline":"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them","datePublished":"2022-03-09T22:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-06T05:41:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/"},"wordCount":1115,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/F-35A.jpg","keywords":["Air Security","China","F-35","Peter Layton"],"articleSection":["Region | Australia","Region | China and Northeast Asia"],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/","name":"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them | Griffith Asia Insights","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/F-35A.jpg","datePublished":"2022-03-09T22:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-06T05:41:45+00:00","description":"PETER LAYTON\u00a0| There\u2019s a problem with Australia\u2019s brand new fighter jet\u2014it\u2019s just not that reliable. As a result, it flies about 25 per cent less than it","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/F-35A.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/F-35A.jpg","width":900,"height":500,"caption":"An F-35A Lightning II aircraft outside of the BAE Systems maintenance hangar near RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales. (Image: ADF | CPL Craig Barrett)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-spent-billions-on-jet-fighters-off-the-plan-now-were-having-trouble-even-flying-them\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Australia spent billions on jet fighters off the plan. Now, we\u2019re having trouble even flying them"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#website","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/","name":"Griffith Asia Insights","description":"Asia Insights is published by the Griffith Asia Institute. It offers latest commentary on Asia-Pacific affairs and aims to inform and foster academic scholarship, public awareness and considered and responsive policy making.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#organization","name":"Griffith Asia Institute","url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GU_Griffith-Asia-Institute_rgb_red_horizontal.png?fit=2930%2C308&ssl=1","width":2930,"height":308,"caption":"Griffith Asia Institute"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/griffithasiainstitute\/","https:\/\/x.com\/GAIGriffith"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/#\/schema\/person\/8121b8aa336749474cbaca380c03029a","name":"Griffith Asia Institute","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f133de65681da3b20ddbc1917f066f458d355d7dfa1f214b10ff4bd135d5ab6c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Griffith Asia Institute"},"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/author\/gaigriffith-edu-au\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/F-35A.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10376,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/perspectivesasia-australias-pivot-to-india\/","url_meta":{"origin":8986,"position":0},"title":"Perspectives:Asia | Australia\u2019s pivot to India","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"9 November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"PERSPECTIVES:ASIA\u00a0|\u00a0ANDREW CHARLTON \u00a0| https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wyZ57trQKAc India is on the rise to become the next global superpower, with a population expected to be larger than the United States and China combined by 2050. For Australia, India has emerged as a new partner offering hope for a more secure and balanced region. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Event - Perspectives:Asia&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Event - Perspectives:Asia","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/events\/perspectives-asia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"(L-R) Simon Elliot, Deputy Director, Collection and Exhibitions at QAGOMA, Dr Andrew Charlton, Member of Parliament for Parramatta and Professor Christoph Nedopil Wang, Director, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University. (Image: Chlo\u00eb Callistemon)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/12\/Perspectives-banner-9-11-23.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/12\/Perspectives-banner-9-11-23.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/12\/Perspectives-banner-9-11-23.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/12\/Perspectives-banner-9-11-23.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5292,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/australia-should-brace-for-a-volatile-year-in-foreign-policy-in-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":8986,"position":1},"title":"Australia should brace for a volatile year in foreign policy in 2019","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"4 January 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"SUSAN HARRIS RIMMER | By the end of 2019 we should be able to assess how Australia is travelling with the grand plan laid out in the\u00a02017 Foreign Policy White Paper. In this, an election year, I examine the status of our most important international relationships. My verdict: decidedly shaky.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Feature series&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Feature series","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/feature-series\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/foreign-policy-volatility-900x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/foreign-policy-volatility-900x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/foreign-policy-volatility-900x500.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/01\/foreign-policy-volatility-900x500.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5681,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/mobilising-defence-in-the-fourth-industrial-revolution\/","url_meta":{"origin":8986,"position":2},"title":"Mobilising Defence in the \u201cfourth industrial revolution\u201d","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"19 April 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"PETER LAYTON\u00a0| Australia\u2019s future wars may not run to our timetable. Our recent wars of choice have allowed participation as and when we wished. If some future conflict is short notice however, the Australian Defence Force may lack the logistic backup to be more than a one-shot force, operationally viable\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Feature series&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Feature series","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/feature-series\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/4IR-3D-bomb-nose-fuse-900x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/4IR-3D-bomb-nose-fuse-900x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/4IR-3D-bomb-nose-fuse-900x500.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/4IR-3D-bomb-nose-fuse-900x500.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6892,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/jokowis-visit-shows-the-australia-indonesia-relationship-is-strong-but-faultlines-remain\/","url_meta":{"origin":8986,"position":3},"title":"Jokowi\u2019s visit shows the Australia-Indonesia relationship is strong, but faultlines remain","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"11 February 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Indonesian President Joko Widodo - Jokowi \u2013 has shown himself to be generally less interested in international affairs than his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). He has also been less committed to the Indonesia-Australia relationship. Nonetheless, Australia\u2019s invitation to Jokowi to address the parliament, and his acceptance of that invitation,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Region | Indonesia and Southeast Asia&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Region | Indonesia and Southeast Asia","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/indonesia-and-southeast-asia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/morrison-jokowi-900x500-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/morrison-jokowi-900x500-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/morrison-jokowi-900x500-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/morrison-jokowi-900x500-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8382,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/perspectivesasia-asian-australians-enabling-and-elevating-australias-competitive-advantage-to-succeed-in-asia\/","url_meta":{"origin":8986,"position":4},"title":"Perspectives:Asia | Asian-Australians: Enabling and elevating Australia\u2019s competitive advantage to succeed in Asia","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"11 June 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"PERSPECTIVES:ASIA | JIEH-YUNG LO | https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mWHypSp2YG4&t=4s Asian-Australians: Enabling and elevating Australia\u2019s competitive advantage to succeed in Asia presented by Jieh-Yung Lo, Director, Centre for Asian-Australian Leadership, ANU. Jieh-Yung Lo, Founding Director of the Centre for Asian-Australian Leadership at the Australian National University, made a compelling case for boosting Asian-Australian representation\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Event - Perspectives:Asia&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Event - Perspectives:Asia","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/events\/perspectives-asia\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"(L-R) Professor Caitlin Byrne, ,Jieh-Yung Lo and Tarun Nagesh","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/banner-900x500-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/banner-900x500-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/banner-900x500-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/banner-900x500-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7826,"url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/connecting-the-spokes-trade-investment-and-economic-relations\/","url_meta":{"origin":8986,"position":5},"title":"Connecting the Spokes: Trade, investment and economic relations","author":"Griffith Asia Institute","date":"31 July 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The theme of this conference, Connecting the Spokes, implies a hub. In general terms, both the Philippines and Australia tend to view the US, perhaps also China, as hubs around whose interests and values we in this region revolve \u2013 or in multilateral terms, of course ASEAN, although that leaves\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/category\/publication\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/AU-PH-Connecting-the-spokes.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/AU-PH-Connecting-the-spokes.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/AU-PH-Connecting-the-spokes.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/AU-PH-Connecting-the-spokes.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"featured_image_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/F-35A.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8986\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}