TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
US approves $6.35 billion aircraft sale to Australia
"The proposed sale will improve Australia's capability to meet current and future threats by providing the Royal Australian Air Force with replacements for its aging cargo fleet, guaranteeing a reliable airlift capability," the Pentagon said in a statement.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin leaves after a press conference on July 21, 2021, at The Pentagon in Washington, DC.
(AFP/Olivier Douliery)
T
he US Defense Department on Wednesday announced the approval of a potential $6.35 billion sale of 24 C-130J-30 transport aircraft and other equipment to Australia.
"The proposed sale will improve Australia's capability to meet current and future threats by providing the Royal Australian Air Force with replacements for its aging cargo fleet, guaranteeing a reliable airlift capability," the Pentagon said in a statement.
The US State Department approved the possible sale, and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Wednesday provided the required notification to Congress.
Lawmakers need to sign off on the transaction, but that is likely to be a formality in this case.
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States," the Defense Department statement said, adding that "Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific."
Lockheed Martin Corp is the prime contractor for the proposed sale of the C-130J-30 aircraft, which would help the Royal Australian Air Force replace its aging cargo fleet and improve its overall operational capability, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Wednesday.
The notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.
