Australia has over 40 retired F18s, which are slowly rusting away. There are no buyers for the Jets, none.

Australia also has no policy of maintaining a material reserve; why escapes me but it has always been thus; we would rather commit $368 billion dollars to an area in which we have zero expertise, i.e., building a brand new not even on the drawing board nuclear submarine to be delivered sometime in the 2050s.

But when it comes to 4o+ retired FA18s that could be used to defend a democratic nation under a brutal and unjustified genocidal attack, we just let the Aircraft sit there and rust! Australia can do more; it can do better!

In one go, Australia could measurably increase Ukraine’s air force strike capacity. Even if it fielded 24-36 F18s out of the 46 lying around it would still be adding at minimum another 2 to 3 squadrons of aircraft at a time when Ukrainians at the front and in the rear are dying unnecessarily due to a lack of air cover. The current counter-offensive also suffers greatly due to a lack of air power, making it a nightmarish war of attrition.

Why F18s have not been sent at this point is no doubt due to either diplomatic shackles or some form of interference from vested interests or reluctance on the part of the USA.

The central issue here is that the democracies of the world, including Australia, cannot claim to be truly standing by Ukraine in its existential war unless they do everything in their power to bring that war to a rapid end. Airpower is a desperately needed element in Ukraine’s defense against this invasion, and it’s available in the form of F18s slowly rusting away in Guam and Australia as the war continues.

Australia’s Prime Minister said:

“Australia stands with Ukraine. We pay tribute to the unwavering resilience and courage displayed by the Ukrainian people.”

Australia’s Foreign Minister said:

“We pay tribute to the extraordinary courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people and stand with them.

“Ukrainian families, children, and the elderly have borne a terrible cost from Russia’s invasion, and Australia is providing funding to support them.

“Russia cannot be allowed to infringe upon another country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Do we truly stand with Ukraine, though? The last package of aid sent to Ukraine from Australia was 70 vehicles, including 28 obsolete M113 vehicles and some 105mm ammunition.

Only after meeting with President Zelenski on the sidelines of the NATO summit did Anthony Albanese increase the assistance by another 30 Bushmasters. However, he rejected their pleas for Hawkei PMVs stating that there were issues with the braking system and a lack of spare parts.

We could go further and provide M1A1 Abrams tanks that are due for replacement next year, but this too is a stretch too far for the current government.

Retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan described the last aid package, prior to the additional bushmasters, as diminishing Australia as a nation. I find it hard to disagree. But to quote the General, “a second-class ride is better than a first-class walk.”

If Australia truly stands with Ukraine, if it has any moral authority, then it should use an appropriate proportion of the $19 Billion dollar surplus delivered to it on the back of this war, to directly support Ukraine in ending this Russian war of aggression.

And they should start by sending the F18s and the weapons to go with them ASAP. As a former member of the ADF, I think I can say that current and former fighter combat instructors and ground crew would gladly volunteer to train their Ukrainian counterparts in the use of these platforms and give them a much-needed boost to their air power.

It’s not a big ask when the consequences of doing nothing are so great. Not only for Ukraine but any country whose sovereignty is threatened by a larger neighbour. Australia needs to step up here, support this petition to send the jets, and encourage Australia to send them now!