“I intend to press the United States for access to F-22 Raptors, which we should be able to consider as part of our aircraft mix,’’ Mr Fitzgibbon said.

The F-22A has a sophisticated sensor suite that allows its pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats - without being detected.

Mr Fitzgibbon downplayed claims in the latest Flight International magazine that Australia would also be considering Russian fighters like the MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-35 as possible buys instead of the planned F-35 Joint Strike fighters.

But the defence minister stressed that he would be looking closely at the previous government’s $5.8 billion order for F/A-18F Super Hornets due for delivery from 2010 as a stopgap order for the Joint Strike Fighters.

“I have been keen not to restrict any aspect of our air combat capability review,’’ Mr Fitzgibbon said.

(For more details see today's Maitland Mercury.)