http://news.yam.com/afp/international/200802/20080224450928.html
美國防部長未保證對澳大利亞出售F22戰鬥機
法新社╱樊劍萍 2008-02-24 17:35
(法新社坎培拉二十四日電)美國國防部長蓋茨今天表示,他將會深入研究對澳大利亞提供F-22戰鬥機的問題,可是蓋茨並沒有保證將設法說服美國國會取消對外國出售F-22戰鬥機的禁令。
蓋茨表示,「有鑒於我們澳大利亞朋友關切的問題」,他下週返回華府後將會繼續追蹤,可是蓋茨同時表示,他不知道盼望取消出口禁令是否是符合實際。
蓋茨對記者說:「由於我們不能出售F-22戰鬥機,老實說,我們自己也研究過所有有關的理由,出售造成的影響,以及我們是否能夠設計供出口使用的新機型。」
蓋茨說:「返回華府以後,我需要設法對這個問題作更深入瞭解,並且與國務卿研究在這方面如何對國會說明有關問題。」
澳大利亞國防部長費茲吉本昨天與蓋茨共同舉行記者會表示,在檢討澳大利亞的空軍能力時,澳大利亞希望獲得美國考慮出口F-22戰鬥機的機會。
蓋茨當時表示,美國在原則上並不反對出口F-22戰鬥機,可是在有關的法律修改以前,美國不能出售這種先進的戰鬥機。
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080224/wl_afp/australiausmilitarydiplomacy_080224072913
US defence secretary makes no promises on F-22 fighters for Australia
by Jim Mannion
Sun Feb 24, 2:29 AM ET
CANBERRA (AFP) - US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said 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 Saturday that 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 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.
But Beijing is likely to perceive the fighter's introduction in the region as directed against it.
Fitzgibbon said Australia wanted to maintain air superiority over its northern neighbours, although he refused to say if he was referring to China.
"I don't think it's appropriate for me to talk about a threat but I would make one simple point, there is no question that the key to Australia's defences is maintaining the air superiority we enjoy to our north," he said.
"On that basis we have to make absolutely sure we make the correct decisions as we plan for both the near and long-term future."
The F-22 is only one of a range of issues raised in annual US-Australian security talks hosted here by the new Labor government.
They discussed Australia's plans to draw down combat troops from Iraq by midyear and a change in approach in Afghanistan from strictly combat operations to police training and civil affairs work.
They also shared perspectives on regional issues, including China and southeast Asia, officials said.
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith, speaking on television on Sunday, said among the issues discussed was whether Canberra would join a United States missile defence system.
In opposition, Labor had opposed the system on cost and the available technology but Smith said the technology had changed and the government was now considering joining the system.
"We'll do that very carefully and do that in a deliberative and sober way," he said.
"It's not a matter of being coy... (but) we don't want to make any decisions which would deprive us of technology which might, in the end, be in our national security interests and be able to protect our forces in the field."
Gates departs Monday for Indonesia, and will make stops in India and Turkey next week before returning to Washington.