
The Australian government says it’s sticking with plans to buy F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, saying it will by about 72 in the near term and will decide on the procurement of more of the aircraft as the retirement of F/A-18 Super Hornets approaches in the late 2020s. Australia’s program of record calls for acquiring 100 of the Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built stealth fighters, but the government-issued white paper, which outlines the country’s national defense strategy, did not explicitly state it would…