Originally Posted by
Pass-A-Frozo
As for how do you crew 100 fighters?? Are you really suggesting we cannot crew 100 fighters in a country of 20+ million people?
No I wasn't. It is well within Australia's means to provide quality aircrew for a 100+ JSF fleet. Western European nations with half our populace, have maintained similar with the F16.
My point was that the 100 JSF fleet seems to be a folly. Crewing issues- both air & ground- was one factor of a Defence Force facing personnel and financial resource constraints.
Does anyone seriously believe the following will occur for the RAAF politically? In 2010, the F111 retires. The RAAF operational Hornet fleet will be between 30 and 40 aicraft. Until 2015+ this small, tired fleet will have all bombing and air fighting responsibilities- why no missile on the P3 BTW?
If lucky, JSF will be in numbers of around 50 toward 2018. So between now & 2018 the RAAF is nowhere near a 100 number fleet of fighters.
But government and the brass have us believe the RAAF will ramp up in 12 years time toward a 100 aircraft fleet! Doubling numbers, crews, flying hours etc. Based on what threat assessment or budget?
It's Pie in the Sky!
I don't understand why we don't have a more compact structure for the RAAF. Two aircraft, overlapping roles to avoid the capability gap of 2010. Smaller numbers, but with all the add ons to go to war with.
A small purchase of F22's now. And JSF; when it's evolved and mature enough to replace the F18. Say 24 F22's & 40 JSF's.
Nobody in Asia is going to want to fight a RAAF equiped as such. So deterrence, waivers a requirement for a concurrent campaign capability.
And if we want to play expeditionary Crusaders with America. Those numbers are sufficient to provide the traditional RAAF contribution since 1950's Korea- never more than a squadron.