The Russian-built Flankers were perhaps a better deal for Australia than the Lockheed US Military Joint Striker, said Denis Jensen, Federal Member for the safe Liberal seat of Tangney in Western Australia. He said ‘If the product is flawed, then our entire national security policy will be as well’.

Commercial interests ot national interests? ‘We must serve the interests of Australian sovereignty and security, not the selfish interests of those who have tied their careers to this project, or the interests of a foreign corporation’.

Jensen warns the witch-hunters: Denis Jensen, Federal Member for the safe Liberal seat of Tangney in Western Australia said In a witch-hunt warning, that it appeared Lockheed Martin and the US Military wanted to stop him talking about the failings of the Joint Strike Fighter and the mysterious disappeareance of a Joint Strike Fighter critic.‘ I will make it my personal duty to pursue those conducting the witch-hunt” (against me), said Federal member, Jensen.

Campaign to discredit Jensen? Jensen reported he was aware of “many aggressive and angry behind-the-scenes approaches, to journalists and others”’.

Money and careers in Joint Strike Fighter purchase: ‘Jensen said ‘With so much money and so many careers riding on this project, obviously criticism or even debate is unwelcome. If any forces within Australia wish to pursue a witch-hunt in a bid to stifle debate on this issue, then I have a warning: I will make it my personal duty to pursue those conducting the witch-hunt. I will not accept people taking such action for any reason other than the demonstrated national interest'.

Jensen names witch-hunters: ‘The program general manager of the JSF project, Lockheed Martin president Tom Burbage, and the program executive officer within the USAF, Major General Charles Davis, intimated that those who released the RAND Corporation document and made statements about it had a vested interest. Well, that person is me, and I do have a vested interest. I want to ensure that Australia purchases the capability that it requires, not merely a capability it has been sold”.

Comparing JSF to the Russian-built Flankers: “I expect the Department of Defence or DSTO, or both, to have conducted their own studies comparing the JSF to the Russian-built Flankers that are beginning to proliferate in the region. Presumably those results would prove the same as those suggested by the RAND document. Have Defence done any such analysis? If so, what were the results of that analysis? If they have not, why not?’