Guys give it up. The pig is yesterdays (well even the day before that's) technology. The tactics it uses are yesterday’s tactics. The airframe is waaay to old. And FTDK, don't you think that if it was as easy as simply chucking new avionics in a new build airframe they would do that?
CC whilst we may generally be fighting RPG's and AK's don't you think it prudent that we equip ourselves for the possibility of having to actually defend our country from something a little more conventional (I won't say formidable as guys with AK's and RPG's are proving plenty formidable in the sandpit...). I will throw this to you, perhaps the reason we as a western military have not had a direct air to air conflict since Vietnam (or you if you include Israel the six day war), as when we actually have gone up against ANY Russian designed fighter from ANY country they have been obliterated. As such perhaps one of the reasons no one has tried to touch us is because of our superiority in the air? In order to maintain that edge we HAVE to adopt the latest technology and that is JSF.
Now the JSF is primarily an Air to mud platform and thus the reason we are getting that over the F-22 (that and cost and the fact the Yanks won't sell it!). Whilst it is not for people on this board to know all the capabilities of that platform, the end result (and as shown by Labours review of the JSF) it is simply THE BEST SOLUTION for Australia. Note the JSF IS NOT a direct replacement for the F-111. It was never intended to be. We do not NEED a single platform direct replacement for the F-111. Have a look at what happened with the Brits employing the Tornado in GW1 using the same tactics of low and fast that the Pig uses. They got obliterated and after losing 20 something airframes adjusted their tactics to high altitude and as big a standoff as possible. The Pig simply don't work no matter what avionics or new low life fatigue, maintenance reduced new build airframes you get.
The Pig is being replaced by the follow:
JSF, Super Hornet, long range ISR birds (Global Hawk?) JASSM, JDAM, Navy's new AWD, pseudo aircraft carriers (can never remember their names) Collins Subs with cruise missiles (maybe?), AAR's, Wedgetail, satellite comms etc. All of these platforms add up to provide a capability that is not only as good as the F-111, it ****s all over them. The world has moved on, the technology has moved on and we now live in a much much different world. The CK's of this world are the ones still fighting "Mother Russia". He has been discredited and has absolutely no idea on present day employment of air weapons platforms.
Whilst Stealth might not be needed against the towel heads in Afghanistan, who the hell knows what is going to happen in the world when China removes its subsidy of oil (currently keeping it to less than $1 per litre) India and Pakistan really get going and the price of a barrel of oil heads north of $200. Whole countries may go broken and then we may find out that some of those countries may very well have ideas about trying to help themselves to some of our resources. The countries are not rubbing their hands together and saying, "geeze I can't wait for Australia to get rid of the pigs". They are saying "damn, we should have done something whilst Australia still had those [notional] 32 pigs.
Yes they were good in their day, in fact the best at what they did. Let’s simply remember them that way and stop wasting finite resources and emotions on trying to keep them in the air. I for one am glad they are going.
Cheers
Mr B
P.S. Dumping fuel into the exhaust in the "dump and burn" has nothing to do with going supersonic, it is the afterburner which is lit to ignite the fuel that causes the thrust. If you dumped fuel into the exhaust of an airline with an afterburner you would get the same effect (now that would be something to see!)