The United States Air Force will never back away from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter despite fears America's Defence Department may be asked to find almost $1trillion in budget savings by Christmas, it says.
However, a reduction in the total number of planes to be ordered and the timing of their delivery cannot be ruled out, USAF secretary Michael Donley said in Canberra yesterday.
He was unable to comment on the probable impact US Defence spending cuts would have on the price and delivery times for up to 100 planes Australia wants to buy.
Mr Donley foreshadowed an increased level of military co-operation between Australia and the US against a backdrop of growing regional instability and looming defence spending cuts in the US.
This could include the sharing of defence capability and the ''co-location'' of assets.
''It's sort of developing a full plate of capabilities on which we can both draw,'' he said.
Mr Donley said the US was keen to develop ''sustained, stable and secure military relations with China''.
He reiterated America's commitment to remaining a Pacific power and said China's development of ship-killing missiles that could threaten US aircraft carriers was now a ''strategic fact of life''.
''But it does not have to be acceded to,'' he said.
''It's not something that would cause us to walk away from fundamental interests.''
Speaking at an Australian Strategic Policy Institute roundtable, Mr Donley said while the US Defence Department was committed to budget cuts of between $300 billion and $450 billion over the next 10 years that may double by December.
''That [cuts in the trillion dollar range] is something we would rather not have to contemplate.''
Mr Donley said the recent US debt ceiling agreement included a second round of cuts that had to be agreed before Christmas.
He said the cuts came at a time when there were serious concerns over the age of the USAF's planes.
''The average age of our aircraft is the highest it's been for a number of years,'' he said.
The RAAF has 14 F-35s on order at a cost of $3.2 billion and will make a decision on its next tranche of up to 58 planes in 2012.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith recently flagged a possible reduction in the number of JSFs Australia would buy.
He has ordered a risk assessment of the JSF program and it has been reported local Defence officials are in preliminary talks with Boeing over the possible purchase of 24 more F/A 18 Super Hornets.
Mr Donley was to meet senior Defence officials responsible for local JSF acquisition yesterday.
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