ozbiggles
5th Aug 2003, 05:19
Is Helen Clarke writing defence papers for Oz now?
From the Australian 05 Aug
Defence plan to scrap F-111s
By Patrick Walters, National security editor
August 05, 2003
THE RAAF's 35 F-111 warplanes – Australia's front-line strategic strike force – could be retired from service from 2006, a decade earlier than originally planned, if the Government accepts a controversial option put forward by the Defence Department.
A key issue is whether early retirement for the long-range F-111s could leave a gaping hole in Australia's front-line defences early next decade.
The Government has accepted strategic advice that Australia faces no conventional military threat for the next 15 years and has placed greater emphasis on the defence force working in coalition operations further from Australia's shores.
The problem for defence planners is that the RAAF's 71 F/A-18 strike fighters are also rapidly ageing and due to be phased out from 2012 as the air force bets on the timely arrival of the state-of-the-art US-designed Joint Strike Fighter.
A growing lobby in defence circles argues that the RAAF will have to consider an interim fighter solution to replace the F/A-18s if the Joint Strike Fighter fails to arrive by 2012 as planned.
Critics of the F-111 argue that the aircraft is now too expensive to maintain and, lacking stealth technology, is highly vulnerable to modern air defence systems.
Air Force chief Angus Houston said recently the bomber fleet could be kept in service at least until 2010. "The reality is that if we are going to take this through to 2020, as indicated in the white paper, it will be very expensive," he told a Senate estimates committee hearing.
"The F-111 was an extremely serviceable aircraft when it was young. The older it gets, the more maintenance we will have to put into it to maintain the capability."
A cost blowout in defence is driving the politically contentious plan to retire the F-111s early. At current estimates, Defence does not have the money to fund the 10-year, $50 billion defence capability plan.
The Defence Capability Review now being considered by the Government argues the case for retiring the 30-year-old F-111 fleet from 2006, compared with the phase-out schedule of 2015-2020 envisaged by the 2000 Defence White Paper.
The option to bring forward the retirement of the F-111s has already sparked sharp debate in defence circles, given that more than $1.2 billion has been spent upgrading the planes and their weaponry over the past 10 years to extend their in-service life.
The Defence White Paper, arguing for the long-term retention of the F-111, said it was unlikely any comparable strike aircraft suited to Australia's needs would be available about 2015.
Defence planners say that by then, other alternative long-range strike platforms could be available, including unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Joint Strike Fighter, still in the development phase, will not have the range and payload of the F-111.
With this in mind, the Government approved further massive expenditures, including upgrades of the F-111's stand-off weapons. Further electronic warfare upgrades were approved for 2004-2008.
The F-111 bomber fleet costs about $500 million annually to keep in service. Maintenance costs have soared in recent years as structural problems with wings and fuel tank seals have emerged.
From the Australian 05 Aug
Defence plan to scrap F-111s
By Patrick Walters, National security editor
August 05, 2003
THE RAAF's 35 F-111 warplanes – Australia's front-line strategic strike force – could be retired from service from 2006, a decade earlier than originally planned, if the Government accepts a controversial option put forward by the Defence Department.
A key issue is whether early retirement for the long-range F-111s could leave a gaping hole in Australia's front-line defences early next decade.
The Government has accepted strategic advice that Australia faces no conventional military threat for the next 15 years and has placed greater emphasis on the defence force working in coalition operations further from Australia's shores.
The problem for defence planners is that the RAAF's 71 F/A-18 strike fighters are also rapidly ageing and due to be phased out from 2012 as the air force bets on the timely arrival of the state-of-the-art US-designed Joint Strike Fighter.
A growing lobby in defence circles argues that the RAAF will have to consider an interim fighter solution to replace the F/A-18s if the Joint Strike Fighter fails to arrive by 2012 as planned.
Critics of the F-111 argue that the aircraft is now too expensive to maintain and, lacking stealth technology, is highly vulnerable to modern air defence systems.
Air Force chief Angus Houston said recently the bomber fleet could be kept in service at least until 2010. "The reality is that if we are going to take this through to 2020, as indicated in the white paper, it will be very expensive," he told a Senate estimates committee hearing.
"The F-111 was an extremely serviceable aircraft when it was young. The older it gets, the more maintenance we will have to put into it to maintain the capability."
A cost blowout in defence is driving the politically contentious plan to retire the F-111s early. At current estimates, Defence does not have the money to fund the 10-year, $50 billion defence capability plan.
The Defence Capability Review now being considered by the Government argues the case for retiring the 30-year-old F-111 fleet from 2006, compared with the phase-out schedule of 2015-2020 envisaged by the 2000 Defence White Paper.
The option to bring forward the retirement of the F-111s has already sparked sharp debate in defence circles, given that more than $1.2 billion has been spent upgrading the planes and their weaponry over the past 10 years to extend their in-service life.
The Defence White Paper, arguing for the long-term retention of the F-111, said it was unlikely any comparable strike aircraft suited to Australia's needs would be available about 2015.
Defence planners say that by then, other alternative long-range strike platforms could be available, including unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Joint Strike Fighter, still in the development phase, will not have the range and payload of the F-111.
With this in mind, the Government approved further massive expenditures, including upgrades of the F-111's stand-off weapons. Further electronic warfare upgrades were approved for 2004-2008.
The F-111 bomber fleet costs about $500 million annually to keep in service. Maintenance costs have soared in recent years as structural problems with wings and fuel tank seals have emerged.