RAAF to buy sixth C17

[herkman]

Announced when the fifth buy turned up, that we are to buy another C17.

As I said before that is the minimum we need

Maybe more?

We will see

Regards

Col

[GreenKnight121]

And an actual link to an actual news story on the subject... :p

Sixth C-17 for the RAAF | Australian Aviation Magazine (http://australianaviation.com.au/2011/09/sixth-c-17-for-the-raaf/)

Sixth C-17 for the RAAF Item by australianaviation.com.au (http://australianaviation.com.au/author/gerard/) at 7:20 pm, Friday September 23 2011 (http://australianaviation.com.au/2011/09/sixth-c-17-for-the-raaf/#comments)

Defence Minister Stephen Smith has announced the RAAF will buy a sixth Boeing C-17A transport.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the delivery of the RAAF’s fifth aircraft in the fleet, A41-210, at Amberley on September 23, Minister Smith said a formal Letter of Request had been submitted to the US government the previous day for the purchase of a sixth aircraft through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system.

Smith said the fifth and sixth aircraft will effectively double the RAAF’s heavy airlift capability from the original fleet of four aircraft when allowing for scheduled and unplanned maintenance. He said recent natural disasters in our region including Cyclone Yasi, the Christchurch earthquake and the Japan tsunami, as well as the C-17’s ongoing support to Australian forces deployed in the Middle East, had repeatedly proven the aircraft’s utility, and that the capability offered by the aircraft “underlines Australia’s regional influence” and our responsibility as an “international citizen.”

The original fleet of four C-17s, which was announced in February 2006 and delivered from December that year, was bolstered earlier this year by the acquisition of the fifth aircraft, which was ordered in early April. The fifth aircraft was delivered in a remarkable 142 days after it was ordered due to an urgent requirement from the RAAF to cover heavy maintenance of its first C-17, but assuming both the US and Australian governments approve its purchase on schedule, the sixth aircraft isn’t expected to be delivered until the fourth quarter of 2012.

In order to accommodate the two new aircraft, the RAAF expects additional ramp and hangar space and terminal facilities will be required at the northern end of Amberley where 36SQN’s C-17s and the growing fleet of KC-30A MRTTs of 33SQN – expected to number four by early next year – are based.

[500N]

Smith is certainly spending the old $$$$.

Maybe some more FA18's before any more C17's depending on how the the F35's take.

[FoxtrotAlpha18]

Unless something else goes horribly wrong with JSF, I don't think there'll be more Rhinos.

Look for a possible announcement about six Growlers in the next few months though...

[GreenKnight121]

Half your Super Hornets are wired for the Growler avionics fit... so no need for a separate buy.

All you need to buy is the aircraft software add-on, external pods, and internal boxes (and the software set for the simulator).

[500N]

So, in your opinion, do we need the Growlers ?

[BBadanov]

But then there would only be 18 Rhinos remaining......

Yes PE, but GK121 has a point. If we want Growlers, 12 are modded with the 'A' kit. Are they always going to carry that dead weight and not utilise it?

So mod those ones, and the new buy should be Rhinos. Probably another 12-18.

[FoxtrotAlpha18]

A Growler can be operated as a conventional Rhino if required, so it won't be either/or - we'll still have 24 Rhinos. There's not a huge weight differential when you're not lugging around ALQ-99s. Without the pods, the weight difference is about 130kg.

500N - are you asking me whether we need Growlers? If so, then yes, I think an EA capability would be a great addition to our orbat. It has so many more applications than the traditional SEAD mission, many of which would be applicable in our AoI.

It is also a great specialist capability that can be a big value-add to a coalition effort. Trouble is, now we have to grow the people to operate that capability from scratch, which I suggest is going to be the greatest challenge.

[500N]

Thanks. I suppose we operate so closely with the US, it would be a nice asset to have.

"Trouble is, now we have to grow the people to operate that capability from scratch, which I suggest is going to be the greatest challenge."

Create a few 2 year OS postings to the US, the initial ones to train the trainers and then rotational onwards.

Be a nice posting for 2 years !!!.