Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We need to break the defence procurement cycle of always retrofitting capabilities at great financial and strategic cost. The ADF should not get platforms decades too late and for the wrong war. The armed reconnaissance helicopter program has become the Airbus Tiger replacement program, which is actually a chance for us to get this right. The leading options, both from the United States, are the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian and the Bell AH-1Z Viper.

If, as the government says in its 2020 Force Structure Plan, we need to prepare for more naval and amphibious operations and we need helicopters fit for that purpose, the Viper is the clear winner, as it's the first helicopter to be fully marinised. It comes fully compatible with naval ship systems. It's a clear stand-out. That's not from me; that's from the Royal United Services Institute. Its airframe doesn't need extensive maintenance to fly after exposure to sea salt. They can hit the beach flying, with immediate ground support to the troops. At $2.36 billion, they also give the best bang for buck, but, with a 20-year life of type, they are much better than the Apache, which is over $3 billion.

So why did the government do a deal with Boeing at AUSMIN in July? (Time expired)