Australia Looking To Buy Strike Weapons, Planes and UAVS

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Posted at: http://www.air-attack/com/news/news_article/1503

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is in contract negations to buy Boeing's [BA] Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Lockheed Martin's [LMT] Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASM) for eventual use on that country's fleet of F/A-18 Hornets, said a top Australian military official.

Additionally, Australia is looking at a follow on to Boeing's Harpoon anti-ship missile.

"Where we go with the future of Harpoon has to be considered," Air Commodore Graham Bentley told attendees at the Precision Strike Association's annual program review in Arlington recently.

Bentley added that Australia is also looking at eventually acquiring the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) in conjunction of acquisition of Lockheed Martin's F- 35 Joint Strike Fighter (F-35).

Australia is also considering whether to remain with Raytheon's [RTN] Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) or go back to the company's AIM-9 Sidewinder, Bentley said.

Australia is also looking at a follow on for its AP-3C maritime patrol aircraft, Bentley said. The Australian military is exploring a "combination of a refurbished platform or MMA (Multimission Maritime Aircraft) and a large high altitude, medium altitude UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle)."

The prime contender is General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator, he added.

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