Defence procurement bungles and wins

[DJC]

On The Project, it was claimed that the armed UAV program has been dumped. Bad timing, given that drones have proven very effective in Ukraine against the Russians. In the event of a hostile amphibious invasion taking advantage of remote coastline areas, you'd think UAVs would be very effective in disrupting advances on populated areas. And they'd be a lot cheaper than F35s.

Which armed UAV program?

We have the Triton UAS (based on the Global Hawk) that, with the P-8A Poseidon, replaced the venerable Orions (based on the 1950s Lockheed Electra turbo-prop airliner) in the maritime surveillance and anti-shipping role.

The MQ-28A "Loyal Wingman" (they could have called it David Glascott), now known as Ghost Bat, is the Super-Hornet, F-35 force extender.  Its new name was recently announced at a naming ceremony at RAAF Amberley and the aircraft has now completed three test flights.  I suspect that it would cost us a packet if we were to pull out of the joint design/construction project with Boeing ... but it is defence procurement.