Australia approved the purchase of 14 of the stealth fighters in 2009, and the additional jets will provide the Royal Australian Air Force with enough aircraft to form three operational squadrons and one training squadron.
The first F-35 aircraft will arrive in Australia in 2018 and enter service with the RAAF in 2020.
The Australian purchase is a signal of confidence in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which is about 70 percent over budget and years behind schedule.
Australia has moved recently to upgrade its air defense capabilities, announcing in February that it would buy eight of Boeing P-8A Poseidon and committing in March to purchasing the U.S. Navy's MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft.
reuters
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