It is always easy in retrospect to say what we should have been done but on that basis I would come back to the fact that mostly the defense purchases that have been made have been poor.
I would guess that it is the same old problem, a decision made between politicians who want the glory and bureaucrats who don't know anything.
What the country actually can afford and needs is left far behind in the equation.
Australia probably needs, cheap, simple, and quantity considering the coast line and area that we have to have covered and drones are the answer there.
But for overseas service we would be better to have general purpose fighter/bombers as they would work in conjunction with other countries forces.
At some stage they will have to come to a decision re the F35s because other countries are getting worried about the cost and everyone that drops out means more cost and less chance of a result for Australia
