Boeing to build military aircraft drones in Australian city

Not only does Boeing leach funds from the US government for R&D, it also leaches funds from the Australian government. Classic “capitalism” to make the start up costs public and then privatize the profits.

Do you really think any entity in Australia has the ability to do this without the knowledge that resides in one of the aerospace majors? It will be manufactured in Australia not just creating jobs but in the process a lot of Aussies will learn the process of developing, testing, setting up an efficient production line and then making them. Or would you prefer Australia just buy whatever the USAF ends up buying and never learn how to do it themselves? What Australia and Boeing are doing is beyond anything the Chinese, Russians or Europeans are able to do, which really is saying something.

I wonder if the US is looking at Australia, long term, as an Indo-Pacific base that is further away from China (and Russia) and not given to the regional spats that South Korea and Japan keep getting into. It gives Washington a bit more leverage. They can ask Japan and SK to 'pick a side' if they want to maintain trade, tech and diplomatic links with China, as the US can maintain a presence from Australia as a Plan B.

This shows the worth of Australia as a place of both innovation and development of new technologies. A worthy ally for any interested country. One reason the US has agreed to allow Australia access to its jealously guarded Nuclear propulsion technology is because Australia is well along in developing AI and fighter drones that the US can obtain, and for Australian participation in development of hypersonic technology which it has been developing for some time now.

This takes some weight off the US in funding all the innovative R&D.

It is an exciting time in the Australian science and technology arena.