Air USA to Buy RAAF F-18A/Bs

[ORAC]

Alert 5 » Air USA to buy up to 46 former RAAF F/A-18A/Bs - Military Aviation News (http://alert5.com/2020/03/05/air-usa-to-buy-up-to-46-former-raaf-f-a-18a-bs/)

Air USA to buy up to 46 former RAAF F/A-18A/Bs

Australia has agreed to sell up to 46 of its F/A-18A/B fighters to Air USA, an air combat training company in the United States.

https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/minister/melissa-price/media-releases/fa-18-disposal-provides-hunter-region-jobs

F/A-18 disposal provides Hunter region jobs

Workers at RAAF Base Williamtown will service and prepare up to 46 retired F/A-18 Classic Hornet aircraft that will be sold to air combat training company Air USA. The Classic Hornet aircraft will be used to provide training services to the United States Air Force and will be prepared over the next three to four years.......

[Minnie Burner]

Crikey,
how time flies.
Pity the RAF hasn't got 46 spare pilots. Make a pretty decent FGA wing.

[RAFEngO74to09]

Some of these aggressor companies are soon going to have more fast-jet pilot jobs than most NATO air forces - especially when they are adding 40+ at a time. Other recent significant buys have been:

63 x Mirage F1 by ATAC
22 x Mirage F1 by Draken.
12 x Atlas Cheetah (Kfir Gen 4) by Draken

[SASless]

That robust American Defense Budget under the current Administration seems to be paying off in many places around the World.

What a change over the previous bunch in the White House.

[typerated]

I am way out of the loop on modern tech.
But assuming different type sims can talk to each other you could interface fights between Typhoons at Coningsby and say any other unit on their sim.
Great.
So the next step is to build (buy) some latest Mig/SU/ whatever the Chinese are building simulators - (lots of them) and have a virtual NATO aggressor force.
Not a replacement for DACT with real aircraft but also lots of advantages in the virtual world.
You can be 'airborne' most of the day. No transit/deployments to fight.No dont have to play safety rules etc. You can simulate the real enemy rather than have a lower performance machine pretending it is something it is not in real life

Seems crazy to have so many adversary aircraft.

Thoughts?


SAS - remember - no politics please

[F-16GUY]

I think the USAF and every other air force that is buying red air support or CAS training from these companies is spending their money in the wrong way. Why? Because every flight hour you pay for, could have been spent by providing more flight time to your own pilots, and they need it! I know that flying red air does not provide the same quality in training that a blue air mission does, but there is still a lot to win by having your pilots fly more. More time in the cockpit will make the pilots more comfortable in the aircraft, more proficient in every aspect of basic flight ops (Take-off, landing, instrument flight, handling emergencies, you name it). During the previous System Safety Group meetings, I have attended on behalf of my air force, I noticed that most aircraft loses and accidents in the F-16 community worldwide were attributed to lack of pilot proficiency in the previously mentioned phases of flight….

[RAFEngO74to09]

There is no substitute for realistic aggressor aircraft in large numbers particular as the Red Air for the 100-aircraft packages on Ex RED FLAG which includes AWACS, ISTAR, tankers, B-2 / B-1 / B-52, various spec ops C-130 variants, CSAR helicopters as well as all types of fighters.

The aggressor types coming into service are exceptionally realistic in terms of the emulation of peer systems to AMRAAM and are updated with suitable radars and other threat emulators and jammers.

The F-22 and F-35 both have an insatiable appetite for targets during higher-end training and the types offered by the Red Air contractors are adequate for the majority of the task.

The contractor operated aircraft have a fraction of the operating cost of the F-15Cs that used to be used for the aggressor role before they had to be withdrawn due to fatigue and maintenance issues.

For the high-end of Red Air, there is going to be a dedicated USAF F-35A aggressor squadron and Nellis AFB also has access to F-22s within its own orbat.

These contractors also provide the Blue Air training for roles like CSAR, TACP etc.

Another huge advantage for the USAF is a cut in overall pilot numbers used in operational training roles at a time when retention is an issue. Many of the contractor pilots - particularly in hands on leadership roles - are ex-USAF FWC or USN Top Gun instructors and that helps with both continuity and ethos.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/30557/air-force-hires-seven-companies-in-long-awaited-mega-adversary-air-support-contract

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/16966/draken-picks-up-a-dozen-south-african-cheetahs-to-emulate-4th-generation-adversaries

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/25075/how-f-5s-beat-out-f-16s-for-the-navys-latest-commercial-aggressor-contract

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/16682/watch-this-a-4-run-for-its-life-from-a-menacing-f-22-raptor-at-low-level

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/21363/usaf-reveals-timelines-and-basing-plans-for-its-huge-adversary-support-contract

[NutLoose]

Another huge advantage for the USAF is a cut in overall pilot numbers used in operational training roles at a time when retention is an issue. Many of the contractor pilots - particularly in hands on leadership roles - are ex-USAF FWC or USN Top Gun instructors and that helps with both continuity and ethos.


Surely that is part of the probem, not the answer to it..... retention is difficult because these contractors will employ ex USAF pilots no doubt on a decent wage without the crud that comes with service life, long detachments away from home, operational service etc, to the detriment of a service desperate to hang onto these highly qualified and skilled individuals..

[RAFEngO74to09]

The main benefit to the USAF is that they are getting the same capability at much lower cost - they don't have to front up the cost of buying the aircraft, holding the spares inventory, or employing the aircrew and maintenance troops.

Even on the smaller scale of Draken providing the initial trial capability at Nellis AFB in 2015 after the active duty F-15C aggressor squadron had to be disbanded due to the dwindling fleet, the cost per flying hour was assessed to be 1:4 for Draken vs F-16C - more for F-15C. Going that route rather than rotating F-15Cs around to eke out the remaining fatigue life across the fleet also extends the life of the remaining USAF assets.

All explained here for those who still don't get it !

Draken Growth Strategy - Defence & Aerospace Report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXCujJsriqM

USAF video - original trial after F-15C retirement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqMsKsE0SrM

Air Force Magazine video on Draken Mirage F1 fleet regeneration, maintenance & logistics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RgaJxW6R6w

Draken ad video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J4npbbq5-o

Draken documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqZxihMgXB0

[typerated]

I'd say the future of DACT looks much more along these lines than buying lots of old fighters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNjjfcD6OdA