Where were the elite Australian Special Forces March 8,2014

Where were the elite Special Forces when Malaysia flight 370 Ditched in their backyard

The sad truth emerging about Malaysia flight 370 is it was all about money and a thing for a thing. Canberra leadership is color blind; they handle the mostly Asian MH370, just like they handle the Aboriginal people. For the reason Asian computer integrated manufacturing companies are abandoning Australia rather than invest billions in upgrading it industrial infrastructure.

Australian Special Forces, one of the best in the world never got the orders to jump, because the money was not right? If their master in Beijing had said save the plane, Canberra would have order the whole 300 man Special Forces army to jump into a storm. The evidence of Canberra inaction suggests Beijing did not want the plane found, just yet.

 Exports to China, Australia’s largest trading partner, totaled a record A$ 95 billion in 2013, up sharply from A$73 billion in 2012. China took almost 40% of Australia’s goods exports in December, and supplied 18% of its imports. By comparison, the United States took 5% of Australian goods exports and supplied 10% of the country’s imports. According to the Wall Street Journal

Manifest for Flight MH370

• 153 Chinese
• 38 Malaysians
• 7 Indonesians
• 6 Australians
• 5 Indians
• 4 French
• 3 Americans
• 2 each from New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada
• One each from Russia, Taiwan, Netherlands
• Two men - one confirmed as Iranian - travelling under stolen Italian and Austrian passports

Source: Malaysia Airlines

Australian leadership knew that if they played their cards rights they could make over 100 million dollars on the MH 370 recovery, and billions in Chinese trade and billions more in US military transfers. The Australian industrial economy is collapsing the Japanese are leaving because Canberra is allowing the Chinese to turn the economy into a Beijing coal colony. A successful sea rescue might cost the Australians billions in Chinese trade and maybe gain a billion in US military transfers. After MH370, the American would construct their own self contained sea rescue force in Australia and never be hostage to Canberra political will again. MH370 was a one time opportunity for Canberra leadership to get paid and build a strategic relationship with their new master in Beijing. Australia is a de facto Chinese banana republic no different the other third world countries like the Sudan, that exports energy that is integrated into the Chinese economic order. The Canberra leadership viewed MH370 as a cold blooded ghetto thing for thing. The Americans wanted to save the plane and paid a billion, the Chinese wanted the sank and would ten billion, just do the math. Most business men would go with the Chinese, Wel-Mart, Apple, and IBM want not Canberra? Who cares if there are a few Americans on the plane, you’re in Asia, and life means anything in a white third world country.

Summary: When the hijacked flight Malaysian MH370 turned south near Diego Garcia in the north India Ocean, the White House called Canberra, Australia and requested military help to intercept the hijacked plane. The White House secret briefing revealed to Perth leadership, MH370 was being tracked by US Space Command in real time. One of USAF MH370 simulations suggested the flight was on its way to Australian air space ETA around 8:00 AM. MH370 tracking was within a region grid of the US Space Command global network allowing US Space Command to merge data streams and radar plots and satellite images of the whole Indian Ocean and South China Sea regions into a single interactive data picture in real time within the US military network of the entire Southern India Ocean corridor area. The USAF Space Command Diego Garcia and Thailand were streaming the hijacked plane at the same time. Australian nation radar would officially  pick up the flight the last 4-5,000 km before the plane came down.

A window of opportunity to intercept MH370 would open a thousand mile west of the country, 2 hours air time, from the coast of Perth arriving in seven hours. A drone tipped search and rescue team would be positioned to locate and plane as it came down and ditched. The US plan called for Australian Special Forces to take control of the sinking plane and save surviving passages and the black box. In order to get into the interception window, assets would have to be assembled ASAP and preposition in the Indian Ocean corridor off the coast of Perth, Australia to seize the opportunity. P-8 planes and drones were the critical first elements, to follow in an hour by the Australian strike force. The time over the target would be four hours, well within the operational frame of the Australian Air command and operational capacities.

While the logistic teams worked out the operational planning, the White House and Canberra worked on the payment for services elements. There were political costs to doing the mission and unknown Beijing political reactions, depending on the hijacker’s political agenda.

The US rescue plan would cost less than 10 million dollars in manpower and planes, even with a 30 per cent possible loss of planes 30 million per P-3. The regional public relations for Australia were priceless and would go a very long way in terms of repairing it poor regional relations.

Canberra wanted the White House to give Australia P-8 planes and drones, worth three billion dollars free of charge, exchange for helping in the MH370 operation.

Caberra also wanted a de facto political Memorandum of Agreement with the White House to force American drone manufactures to set up a direct manufacturing facilities to produce next generation lighter drone parts in Australia ahead of more advanced Asian manufacturing countries in exchange for its participation in the MH370 mission. This was worth another two billion dollars. Australia lack the human and physical infrastructure to be a major next generation manufacturer of US weapons systems, much less next generation  X-47B manufacturing supply chain and is allowed to assemble their own US Navy Triton.

The bottom line is the White House refused to be blackmailed by the Australian and their British financial backers. The Australian stepped off participation in the mission, which could not happen without their Special Forces and planes.

The plane MH370 crushed in the Indian Ocean where the White House suggested and the Australians allowed it to sink without doing anything. In two days after the sinking, the White House had, Digital Globe posted the debris of the plane on their website, after providing Australia leadership with a secret briefing and public release of their findings. The Digital Globe location was less than two hours by jet from Perth, Australia. Informed people in the intelligence community around the world knew the deal.

White Third World Republic

The production line of GM Holden's seven millionth vehicles in Australia on August 18, 2008 Photo: Once the 10th largest employer of full-time white males will be gone forever 2017 because Australia has not transition to computer integrated manufacturing and make second rate cars.

Without understanding the position white Australia finds herself in, it’s difficult to comprehend why Canberra would try to blackmail the White House. Australia manufacturing is being abandoned by Japanese and other Asian supply chain partners because the country is not transitions to computer integrated manufacturing. It’s more cost efficient for manufacturers to develop modern advanced manufacturing platforms other places in Asia than Australia because of it lack of advanced integrated manufacturing infrastructure or young skilled work force. With the lost of Japanese auto manufacturing there is a big hole in the mainly white economy. The economy needs modern industrial jobs, because local collages are increasing for the upper class, not the middle class forcing many young people aboard for employment opportunity. It was hoped by Canberra, the blackmailing the White House would jump start investments in next generation of military advanced manufacturing and hopefully non-military next generation manufacturing. But since Australia is a third world country and has not invested in advanced industrial infrastructure that is no business model but second rate British weapons production. The situation is so bad, Australia shipyards can’t make basic submarines, yet they dream of making next generation USN drone fighters that required advanced computer integrated manufacturing and interface with German and Japanese parts supply chains which will be the next phase in drone development. The human and physical infrastructure is not in Australia.

The political economy of Australian strategic relationship with China

Australia is a de facto Chinese banana republic no different the other third world countries like the Sudan, that exports energy that is integrated into the Chinese economic order. The traditional Australian manufacturing sector has collapsed and what left is only exporting 2.3 per cent of total export, which coal Chinese exports, is number one and their skill workforce second. The industrial sector is a massive Detroit black hole. US exports account for only 5 per cent. Australia is between a rock and hard place. According to the Wall Street Journal, Exports to China, Australia’s largest trading partner, totaled a record A$ 95 billion in 2013, up sharply from A$73 billion in 2012. China took almost 40% of Australia’s goods exports in December, and supplied 18% of its imports. By comparison, the United States took 5% of Australian goods exports and supplied 10% of the country’s imports. Australia is economically and politically in bed with China and no longer resisting being raped. Other Asian countries are leaving Australia to it faith, until new leadership comes to power in Canberra.

King Coal replaced manufacturing

Feeding China’s massive coal needs is Australia’s only growth industry

As more Australian mining projects near completion and begin production, the export volumes are likely to rise, analysts say.“It will be truly staggering just how much income will be generated from our largest trading partner when all the major resource projects are operating at full capacity,” said Craig James, chief economist at Commsec brokerage. The coal exports to China is controlling Canberra political economy, not reindustrializing the economy.

According to Australian BussinesDay

''Australians are smart, innovative and creative,'' says Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane. ''We have the ability to remake our industry sector and the time in which to do it.''

But if Australia is to remake its manufacturing sector into one that is smart, creative and viable, it has some catching up to do. Governments in developed countries around the world have been making the case for smarter manufacturing, while US President Barack Obama has ignited a push for the reinvention of American manufacturing.

According to European Union data from 2011, only 2.3 per cent of materials shipped out of Australia are high-tech - far less than the US, where the figure is closer to 20 per cent.

When Toyota, Ford and Holden leave the country for good in 2017, there will be plenty of spare hands. Around 50,000 people who work in the automotive supply chain, mostly in Victoria and South Australia, will face the risk of unemployment. It represents a hollowing-out of traditional manufacturing in Australia, with the sector now accounting for just 6 per cent to 7 per cent of economic output. Employment in the sector fell by 140,000, or 13 per cent, between the year 2000 and November last year. New South Wales lost 52,900 jobs, or 18.5 per cent of its manufacturing workforce over the 13-year period. Victoria was hit even harder. It shed 95,100 jobs, more than 29 per cent of its manufacturing workforce. The large-scale job losses and factory closures have come as the mining boom has cooled.

The jobless rate is now at levels higher than during the global financial crisis, with the economy having shed 92,000 jobs in the past year. The Abbott government, having come to power promising to maintain a strong manufacturing sector, says the country must now embrace ''new industries, new markets and new jobs''. It is adamant that Australia can still be a country that ''makes things'' The OECD found in 2012 that Australia's investment in high-tech industries was lower overall than other advanced economies, but said Australia had prospects in specialised niches - such as medical devices, biomaterials, mining equipment and aerospace. It is here that the torch-bearers for smart Australian technology can be found - the world-beating success stories like Cochlear and Resmed. But beyond those high-profile players, Australia has a stark lack of ''innovative, global, mid-size'' firms - in the words of the Gillard government’s Manufacturing Taskforce.

Many of Australia's manufacturers are small; there are 50,000 small or medium Australian manufacturing enterprises that employ less than 200 people, and smaller businesses have less capacity to borrow and upgrade. That taskforce also pointed to Australia's scale and remoteness as a barrier to ''innovation and export growth''. In 2012, that taskforce produced a 94-page report, Smarter Manufacturing for a Smarter Australia, which found there were a number of opportunities for Australia to become more entrepreneurial, including investment in incentives for start-ups and scientific development. It called for more targeted research and development funding with a focus on Australia's fledgling but innovative SMEs.

It was one of many calls, and plans, for smarter manufacturing in Australia that have grown louder as the job losses have mounted. But Remy Davison, the Jean Monnet Chair in politics and economics at Monash University, says despite the talk little has been done to create a realistic transformation scheme for industry.

''We talk about investing in smart industries and moving into high-tech industries, but nobody actually does it,'' he says.

''Not state governments, not federal governments, and to be fair the private sector doesn't really invest in it either.''

Smart manufacturing is a loose concept, but its proponents say it refers to creating things that are faster, lighter, more efficient and simply better than those already provided by mass-manufacturers - thus providing a competitive edge. It could refer to anything from vertical garden components, to green energy products, medical precision instruments and bionics to the sorts of custom-made technology produced by the likes of Hybrid Electronics.

Its advocates point to other opportunities in sports technology, space technology and healthcare.

It is into this ''smart'' space that some of Australia's so-called ''rust-belt'' manufacturers have tried to move.

Australian strategic Chinese interests

Australia is a de facto Chinese banana republic no different the other third world countries like the Sudan, that exports energy that is integrated into the Chinese economic order. The traditional manufacturing sector has collapsed and what left is only exporting 2.3 per cent of total export, which coal Chinese exports, is number one. US exports account for only 5 per cent. Australia is between a rock and hard place. According to the Wall Street Journal, Exports to China, Australia’s largest trading partner, totaled a record A$ 95 billion in 2013, up sharply from A$73 billion in 2012. China took almost 40% of Australia’s goods exports in December, and supplied 18% of its imports. By comparison, the United States took 5% of Australian goods exports and supplied 10% of the country’s imports.

As more Australian mining projects near completion and begin production, the export volumes are likely to rise, analysts say.“It will be truly staggering just how much income will be generated from our largest trading partner when all the major resource projects are operating at full capacity,” said Craig James, chief economist at Commsec brokerage. With Chinese building thousands of new coal fired power plants, Australian coal exports are positioned to increase their market.

If China requests that MH370 be allowed to sink to the bottom, Canberra would honor the request for a 100 billion dollar in trade. Coal can buy coal from a number of other countries.

But China would not export advanced computer integrated manufacturing of parts to Australian, much less drone manufacturing to Australia. So, why would the Canberra government, in bed with the Chinese, think, much less ask the US government to transfer component production of the next generation the Northrop Grumman X-47B drone fighter?

Pipe dream or deception

14 days before MH370 hijacking, Australian think tank publicly demands Australia become part of the X-47B manufacturing supply chain and is allowed to assemble their own US Navy Triton. The Abbott Government proposal appeared a little over the top, it was within the new US Asian strategic policy and would clear help the Australian manufacturing sector. Rather than buy old US surplus weapons system, it makes economic and military sense to buy next generation technologies. Given the fact the Abbott Government was willing sleep in bed with the Chinese, concerned military planners in Washington questioned the wisdom of such a major transfer of US strategic technologies to a politically a risk government even if the Chinese provide the extra money to finance the purchases with increase import of Australian coal.

According to “Australia should boost stocks in drone aircraft, military lobby group says” a powerful lobby group pressured the White House to move up in line from the next generation the Northrop Grumman X-47B drone fighter.

The Australian pipe dream went public on February 25, 2014 A influential air power lobby group wants Australia to acquire long-range unmanned combat aircraft that can fire precision missiles against targets without risk to pilots.

Cultural shift ... a lobby group says the ADF should look at the possibilities presented by unmanned aircraft. Source: News Limited

According to the Canberra-based think tank, the Sir Richard Williams Foundation, so-called unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) are developing at such a rapid rate that they could replace manned fighters by the late 2020s.

In a report entitled ‘Protecting Australia with UAS (unmanned aerial systems)’ launched today the foundation, which is run by former air force chief Errol McCormack, said that UCAVs must be considered in the long-range strike role that the RAAF lacked since the retirement of the F-111.

Former Labor Defence Minister Stephen Smith kicked off a debate about Australia’s possible purchase of unmanned strike aircraft, but there has been little public reaction to contentious issues such as accidental civilian casualties from remote controlled drone strikes in Afghanistan.

At present such strikes are carried out by unmanned aircraft such as Predators and Reapers that are not capable of defending themselves from attack.

In the short-term Australia is more interested in the surveillance capabilities of unmanned aircraft such as the US Navy Triton and the Abbott Government has signaled that it will spend $2.5 billion the capability. The problem was Australia was hard pressed to find the money to fund their end of the program.

Malaysia flight 370 (MH 370) crises allow Australia to revisit the Northrop Grumman X-47B drone fighter pipe dream in real time on the early morning of March 8, 2014 as flight MH370 approached Australian Air space.

Nubian Observer US plan analysis

The 2nd Commando Regiment is the domestic counter terrorism (CT) and recovery force relied upon by the Australian government in the event of a hostage situation. All members are qualified to be employed as a counter terrorism operator/assaulter within the Tactical Assault Group (East). The primary task of TAG (East) is the recovery and rescue of hostages from enemy contested situations. The company on CT duties is tasked in domestic direct action and hostage rescue missions by sea, air and land. The TAG (East) role is filled by a commando company at all times and augmented by a team of clearance divers from the Royal Australian Navy

The Australian Tactical Assault Group, one of the world best water rescue units never jumped into the Indian Ocean off Perth to rescue the passengers on Malaysian flight MH370 because the White House don’t met Perth blackmail demand for 5 billion dollars of free military transfers.

The real rescues challenge for the MH370 mission, was political and racial, not technical, i.e., there were only six Australians passengers on the plane allowing Canberra  major political leverage to push for a high price for employing it elite Special Forces. Canberra reduced the MH370 crisis to a ghetto “thing for a thing” with the President of the United State.

Canberra leadership knew that if the US wouldn’t pay, Beijing would pay them to let the plane sink to the bottom by increasing coal imports, so Australia with the Chinese option under the cover of the so-called the Canberra mantra that Australia must not be forced to choose between its principal military ally and its largest trading partner focuses on a contradiction between 60 years of security ties to the US and the deep but asymmetrical trade interdependence with China.

 Soldiers from the 1st Commando Company parachute with inflatable boats from an RAAF C-130H into Shoalwater Bay, Australia were perfect for construction of an inflatable platform for potentially hundreds of survives from flight 370 that ditched in the Indian Ocean.

 World “Puzzled” Over Lack of Use of Australian Special Forces by Canberra Leadership

The US rescue mission was based on flight 370 being immediately found and secured by Australian Special forces after it ditched. Australian Special forces are one of the best in the world and perform hundred of sea rescues every year in the waters off Australian. When the plane ran out fuel and ditched, the Australian Special Forces would move in. By Sun rise, a massive air rescue would be underway, ferrying survivors to Australian only two hours away. Where were the elite Special Forces in the critical first moments of ditching?

The technical rescues challenge for the MH370 mission, was not locating the plane in flight, US Space Command was on that, the challenge was the logistical problem of getting the Australian Special force preposition waiting nearby to strike. The USN drones could find their own way to the target, no problem.

The Jersey model

 US Airways Flight 1549, ditched in the Hudson River in 2009 above with all passengers surviving was the operational model of the MH370 rescue plan.

The US and Australian militaries only had 7 hours to logistically assemble the assets and forward positions them a thousand miles away in the India Ocean. The Australian leaders backed out of doing the mission because the White House refused to meet their blackmailed demands for Canberra for 5 billion dollars of advanced planes and drones manufacturing in Australia. China has requested for political reasons, that the Abbott government allow the plane to sink to the bottom and be recovered later. The Abbott government was between a rock and hard place and the world was watching.

US Plan was totally dependent on Australian Special Forces

The US Plan was totally dependent on the Australian Special Forces to execute the air sea rescue because the US military deployment lacked the physical infrastructure in Austrialia to perform the mission alone. This military reality on the ground allow Canberra powerful political leverage over Washington in demanding a higher price for their help. In addition, Canberra knew the negotiation would never but made public because the USAF Space Command SBIR protocol prohibited from disclosing or sharing details of the SBIR radar tracking information, because of the above top secret SBIR content. The Australian knew China would pay them a great deal in increased coal imports not to find the plane and leverage this against Washington. At the top of Canberra military pipe dream shopping list was Northrop Grumman X-47B drone fighter the next generation P-8 planes and drones everyone in Asian are getting ahead of Australia to buy. But the Canberra leadership wanted manufacturing rights to jump start them into the 350 billion dollar Asian drone market.

The MH370 crisis allowed them a political means to force their way into the US military part manufacture supply chain for weapons systems and commercial applications. This would counter balance a short term reduction of Chinese coal exports and pressure from the Australian coal lobby. Beijing would never provide Canberra access to their advanced drone next generation manufacturing chain, maybe a weaken US President might? So, Abbott’s political team rolled the dices.

Thing for a Thing, multi billion manufacturing facilities

Abbott wanted the White House to give them the P-8 planes and drones, worth three billion dollars free of charge and allow Australia to be first in line for the X-37B, in exchange for helping in the rescue MH370 operation.

Canberra also wanted a de facto political Memorandum of Agreement with the White House to force American drone manufactures to set up a direct manufacturing facilities to produce next generation lighter drone parts in Australia ahead of more advanced Asian manufacturing countries in exchange for its participation in the MH370 mission.

Deal already in the Washington pipe line

In October 2012, Australia formalized its participation in the program with a commitment of a$73.9m (US$81.1m) in an agreement with the USN. Australia plans to order eight P-8 aircraft to replace the RAAF's AP-3C aircraft by 2017–18, and reach operational capability by 2019. Air Marshal Geoff Brown, head of the Royal Australian Air Force, has said Australia is considering purchasing more P-8s, and purchasing fewer MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft than originally planned. On 21 February 2014, the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, announced Australia's intention to purchase eight P-8s plus options for four more, with development work to be carried out in South Australia. Aircraft deliveries are planned to occur from 2017 to 2021.

In addition to the Poseidon system of planes and drones, Canberra wanted a de facto Memorandum of Agreement with the White House to force American drone manufactures to set up a direct manufacturing facilities to produce next generation lighter drone parts in Australia ahead of more advanced Asian manufacturing countries and cities. This de facto political Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would be a back door into the emerging 350 billion Asia market, drone sector for second rate Australian companies and their British mother holding firms. Queensland, Production Parts and Marand in Melbourne, Lovitt Engineering and Levett Engineering in South Australia, making various parts and systems for the JSF today. Ferra Engineering signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Lockheed Martin to set up a direct manufacturing facility to produce titanium parts for the F-35. This is a world-first facility and it will use leading-edge, innovative technology to fabricate the titanium components that will deliver significant costs advantages over traditional machining methods. The problem is the market for F-35 fighters is collapsing and the technology is already out of date. Australian computer integrated manufacturing infrastructure is also old and out of date, it cannot complete with emerging countries like oil rich Vietnam. Australia is falling way behind in next generation computer integrated manufacturing and was trying to leverage the emerging crisis to get paid. The bottom line is the White refused to be blackmailed by the Australian and British, and the Australian stepped off participation in the mission, which could not happen without them.

Way to do nothing

Since the White House would not play the Canberra game and give away American advanced manufacturing, the money would come from the long recovery process of the plane and increase Chinese exports. A cover story was needed to rationalize Canberra doing nothing. The Inmarsat’s debate was leaked to the press.

The Canberra leadership was impressed by the White House briefing, but also emotionally overwhelmed and turned to the British for an opinion. The British toll Canberra, there simulation suggests that MH 370 would track far out in the Indian Ocean, not to worry. The British were using more than Inmarsat’s to track the plane, but were still wrong by over a thousand miles long and over a thousand miles to far to the west of Canberra. The actual target landing is now knew to be a thousand miles closer to Perth and could have lead to a 9/11 event in capital, had the hijackers want to target the Perth. The Canberra leadership unable to comprehend the totality of situational reality went with the British Inmarsat’s simulation which they knew, trusted and allow them to politically rationalized doing nothing.

The different of a thousand mile, also put the sea interception mission outside the physical infrastructure and reach of Australians Special Forces operational range. By Canberra /British design, the pro American Afghanistan element within Special Force command who understood the strategic potential of the mission was left out of the final discussion loop.

Because of the collapse Australian export economy, military spending is being downsized, Canberra try and failed to cash in on the MH370 crisis. As stated above, In October 2012, Australia formalized its participation in the program with a commitment of a$73.9m (US$81.1m) in an agreement with the USN. Australia plans to order eight P-8 aircraft to replace the RAAF's AP-3C aircraft by 2017–18, and reach operational capability by 2019. Air Marshal Geoff Brown, head of the Royal Australian Air Force, has said Australia is considering purchasing more P-8s, and purchasing fewer MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft than originally planned. On 21 February 2014, the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, announced Australia's intention to purchase eight P-8s plus options for four more, with development work to be carried out in South Australia. Aircraft deliveries are planned to occur from 2017 to 2021. Abbott problem was he needed to find sources of funding the development and purchase of the planes, MH370 offered a rare opportunity to do both at the same time. U.S. Navy's MQ-4C Triton drone near the top of a defense shopping list last year because of it advanced manufacturing technology.

According to “Australia Rethinking Military Drones MQ-4C Triton 'Exactly What We Need,' Defense Minister Says, By  Rob Taylor Updated Feb. 7, 2014 12:45 a.m. ET

 SYDNEY—Australia is rekindling its interest in military drones that can roam as far as North Asia—reversing a stance that the hardware was too expensive.

An announcement will likely be made this year, Australian Defense Minister David Johnston said in an interview. The conservative government plans to indicate its priorities for an annual 25.0 billion Australian dollar (US$22.4 billion) defense budget in its first strategic blueprint next year.

"Something that can leave Darwin and do a couple of laps of Sri Lanka and come home again—that is exactly what we need," Mr. Johnston said ahead of a speech in Sydney commemorating the nation's submarine fleet. Darwin is on Australia's northern coastline and home to a U.S. Marines camp and close to several oil and gas installations.

Ministers had put the U.S. Navy's MQ-4C Triton drone near the top of a defense shopping list last year but pressure for spending cuts because of the country's fading mining-investment boom doused interest.

"It's undeniable that that capacity, up at about 55,000 feet, unarmed, is right in the place that we need to pay attention to. It's almost a no-brainer," Mr. Johnston said. "I'm hoping in the course of this year that I'll have something to say about that."

Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Triton—about the size of a small airliner—costs around $100 million and can stay aloft for more than 30 hours.

The previous Labor government had wanted to purchase six to seven drones and associated equipment for about A$3 billion. Under that government, net military spending shrank to around 1.56% of gross domestic product—its lowest since 1938.

Mr. Johnston's comments may signal that his ministry might be spared major budget cuts, with the government prioritizing purchase of military equipment that could help Prime Minister Tony Abbott deliver on a promise to tighten border security and halt asylum boat arrivals from neighboring Indonesia.

The U.S. Navy is still testing the Triton, which carries a 360-degree radar and sensors including infrared and optical cameras, ahead of entering operational service in 2017. Unmanned aerial vehicles are central to Northrop's international sales push, and has been aided by the U.S. government loosening export restrictions on platforms such as Global Hawk and Triton.

"The unmanned arena is beginning to open up for us on an international basis," James Palmer, Northrop's chief financial officer, said at an industry conference in New York on Thursday. "The Australian government has been following the Triton's development to see whether or not that capability may meet their needs on a long-term basis."

US$350 billion Asian market, what Asia country would buy from Australia after MH370?

U.S. defense contractors will have their largest-ever presence at the Singapore Airshow next week, lured by the prospect of a growing Asian market. According to an estimate by consultant Avascent, that market is valued at US$350 billion, excluding China, over the next five years.  

The sad truth about Malaysia flight 370 is it was all about money and a thing for a thing. Australian Special forces, one of the best in the world and perform hundred of sea rescues every year in the waters off Australian, never got the opportunity to jump and maybe make a difference.

The Americans tax payers will not forget how Canberra leadership did nothing to give the passengers on MH370 a fighting to survive the crush by deploying a rescue force. The face that most of the victims were of color and Asian do not reduce the value of their life or worth. This should not be lost to African Americans or Asian Americans. This sick British racism toward Aboriginal people carried to Asians on MH370.

Aboriginal people and their children suffer tremendously as victims in contemporary Australian society, MH370 and Canberra policy of knowingly watching people of color needlessly die is morally inhuman no matter what the political economy. You will get what you get when the Chinese people find out the truth of early morning March 8 and why the elite Special Forces were made to stand down when Malaysia flight 370 ditched in their backyard and needed their help.

Thank God, the US president doesn’t reward Canberra brinkmanship with a thing for thing putting the whole of Asia at risk.