US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday he will look into F-22 fighters for Australia but made no promises to lobby the US Congress to lift a ban on foreign sales of the most advanced US
fighter.
Gates said he would pursue it when he returns to Washington next week “given the importance that our Australian friends attach to it,” but he said he did not know if it was realistic to expect action to lift the
export restrictions. “Because we have not had the ability to
sell the F-22, to be honest I haven’t delved into all the reasons for that - what the complications would be, the questions about whether a new design would be required for export,” he
told reporters here. “I just need to go back and get better educated on this and in concert with the secretary of state decide if this is a matter that we should pursue with the Congress,” he said.
Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said at a
news conference with Gates on Saturday Australia wanted the opportunity to consider the F-22 as part of a review of the country’s air capabilities.
Gates said then that the United States had no objection in principle, but could not sell the fighter until the law was changed. “I would have to say, quite honestly, I am not optimistic about that prospect. But we will work on it,” he told Sky News in an interview broadcast on Sunday. Japan also has been pressing Washington to release the F-22 for export.The stealth fighter can
cruise at supersonic speeds, has radars capable of detecting cruise missiles, and wideband data links for networked operations.
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