Australia's complicity in human rights abuses through its role in supplying critical components for the F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia has sparked growing concerns. The US President Donald Trump's decision to sell up to 48 jets to the Saudi regime, despite widespread criticism over its human rights record, has left Australia vulnerable to accusations of backing a government responsible for atrocities.
The Australian contribution to the F-35 production is significant, with more than 70 local companies involved in contracts and over 700 critical pieces manufactured in Victoria alone. This means that any bombs dropped by these planes are only possible because of the Australian-made parts. Critics argue that this makes Australia complicit in human rights abuses, as it provides the technology to a government responsible for bombing raids on civilian targets.
Experts warn that the global F-35 supply chain, which includes Australia, is riddled with weaknesses that allow governments to deny direct support for foreign militaries. However, these denials are often hollow, given the complexity of the supply chain and the lack of effective monitoring by the US government.
The Australian Department of Defence has denied asking questions about refusing to supply parts for jets bound for Saudi Arabia, fueling concerns about its willingness to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses. Meanwhile, the US itself does not comprehensively monitor where its weapons end up or how they are used, with only 1.6% of export authorisations subject to targeted checks.
The sale has sparked widespread condemnation globally, particularly in light of Saudi Arabia's involvement in the Yemeni civil war, which has killed an estimated 377,000 people. The conflict has seen nearly 15,000 civilians killed by direct military action, mostly in airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition.
Critics also warn that Australia is losing control over its foreign policy, as it becomes increasingly entangled in the complex web of arms deals and supply chains that underpin US defence exports. With no effective checks in place to prevent Australian-made parts from being used in human rights abuses, concerns about complicity are growing.
The Australian contribution to the F-35 production is significant, with more than 70 local companies involved in contracts and over 700 critical pieces manufactured in Victoria alone. This means that any bombs dropped by these planes are only possible because of the Australian-made parts. Critics argue that this makes Australia complicit in human rights abuses, as it provides the technology to a government responsible for bombing raids on civilian targets.
Experts warn that the global F-35 supply chain, which includes Australia, is riddled with weaknesses that allow governments to deny direct support for foreign militaries. However, these denials are often hollow, given the complexity of the supply chain and the lack of effective monitoring by the US government.
The Australian Department of Defence has denied asking questions about refusing to supply parts for jets bound for Saudi Arabia, fueling concerns about its willingness to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses. Meanwhile, the US itself does not comprehensively monitor where its weapons end up or how they are used, with only 1.6% of export authorisations subject to targeted checks.
The sale has sparked widespread condemnation globally, particularly in light of Saudi Arabia's involvement in the Yemeni civil war, which has killed an estimated 377,000 people. The conflict has seen nearly 15,000 civilians killed by direct military action, mostly in airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition.
Critics also warn that Australia is losing control over its foreign policy, as it becomes increasingly entangled in the complex web of arms deals and supply chains that underpin US defence exports. With no effective checks in place to prevent Australian-made parts from being used in human rights abuses, concerns about complicity are growing.
! Australia is basically giving Saudi Arabia a free pass to continue its humanitarian atrocities because of our own country's involvement in the F-35 production 
. I mean, think about it - every single bomb that gets dropped on civilians in Yemen is literally made possible by Australian-made parts 
. It's like we're complicit in their crimes and just pretending it doesn't happen? The more I think about it, the angrier I get... how can we justify this?! 
. I mean, we're talking bombs that can kill civilians, and our Aussie companies are directly contributing to that tech 
. The fact that the US doesn't even comprehensively monitor where its weapons end up is just, like, totally sketchy 
.
. Like, if our parts are being used to kill civilians, can we really say we're clean? It's all about who you know and where you stand on the supply chain 
.
. I mean, what's 1.6% targeted checks against a global supply chain supposed to do? It's not like it's gonna stop human rights abuses 
.
. We can't just sit back and pretend we're not contributing to the problem 
.
. It's time for Australia to take responsibility for its actions and demand more transparency from the US government on where their defense exports end up and how they're used. We can't just turn a blind eye to human rights abuses and hope it goes away 
.
. I mean, if we're not directly supporting the Saudi regime, how do we know our tech isn't ending up in their hands? It's like, we can't even check what's going on because the US isn't keeping tabs either 
. And now Australia's all "oh, we don't want any part of it" but still profiting off the sale? That's not cool at all 
. And with the US not really keeping tabs on where their exports end up, it's hard to say if Australia is even doing its due diligence here 
. I wish they'd be more transparent about it all 
.
It's like we're trapped in a never-ending cycle of complicity 