Australia bears ultimate responsibility for how Australian weapons are being used in conflict zones around the world.

Republished from DECLASSIFIED AUSTRALIA, August 02, 2024

It is almost literally true that Australia cannot go to war without the consent and support of the US.’

This statement, made in 2001, is key to understanding the deceit and denials by the Albanese government regarding weapons exports bound for Israel.

In his 2019 book Secret: The making of Australia’s security state, veteran journalist Brian Toohey quoted the 2001 research paper by the Australian parliamentary library.

Toohey explained that:

‘The US requires almost all countries that buy its weapons systems, including Australia, to send sensitive components back to the US for repairs, maintenance and replacements without the owners being allowed access to critical information, including source codes, needed to keep these systems operating.’

To rephrase Toohey: Australia cannot use its advanced weapons platforms for any length of time without US support.

Two decades later, the F-35 fighter jet is one such advanced weapons platform.

Australia reliant on the US

Australia is now more embedded in and reliant on the US military than it was in 2001.

After nine months of denials, Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong finally admitted in June that Australia is still exporting parts into the global F-35 supply chain, a point of contention because Israel is using its F-35s in its war in Gaza. Both senior ministers also noted at the same time that Australia’s F-35 fleet forms the heart of our air force’s “fast jet capability”.

Is Australia’s continuing supply of parts to the US somehow linked to the need to maintain our own F-35 capability?

The UN has stated only that supply to Israel of weapons, parts, components, ammunition and munitions should cease. It has not said all exports into global weapons supply chains that include Israel as a recipient nation should cease. Australia could continue supplying the US-led global F-35 supply chain and be compliant with UN requests provided the US has agreed that none of the Australian exports will be sent to Israel.

I asked the Defence Department whether it had sought assurances from the US and Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35 fighter jet, that they would cease transferring Australian-made parts and components to Israel. The Department had not responded by deadline.

I also asked whether it was correct that Australia does not have access to the necessary source codes, or other critical information, needed to repair, maintain, upgrade or replace the sensitive components in our fleet of F-35s.........

© Pearls and Irritations