Labor has labelled Australia's defence acquisition program a mess, as the government considers spending $2 billion on aircraft as a stop-gap measure while it waits for the new, high-tech Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Australia may buy a squadron of 24 F-18F Super Hornet fighter jets as back-up amid growing concerns over delays in the delivery of the JSF.

The Australian Financial Review reported that Defence Minister Brendan Nelson had confirmed that the government was in discussions with the US government for the purchase of the Super Hornets.

The aircraft are likely to cost about $90 million each.

The move is an apparent about-face for the government, which has repeatedly said there would be no need for a stop-gap to fill the hole between the phase-out of the RAAF's fleet of aging F/A-18 Hornets and F-111s and the introduction of the JSF.

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