The Australian government has deviated little from therecently released Defence Capability Plan (DCP) in its latest defence budget, with the announcement of an additional two Wedgetail B737 airborne early-warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft the only acquisition not foreshadowed in the 10-year DCP blueprint. Exercising the option to increase the AEW&C fleet from four to six aircraft for A$326 million (US$232.8 million), Defence Minister Robert Hill said that the "investment is about 10% of the original contract price for a 50% increase in capability".
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