Great time lapse video of Super Hornet construction:

LiveLeak.com - Constructing A Super Hornet: "A time lapse of the construction of a Super Hornet"

Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet for Australia Takes Flight
 

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(St. Louis, July 21, 2009) -- The first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornet takes off from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis July 20 to begin its initial flight. Boeing [NYSE: BA] unveiled the aircraft July 8 at the company's Integrated Defense Systems facility in St. Louis.

Boeing will complete delivery of the first of 24 F/A-18Fs to the RAAF later this month, three months ahead of schedule. The remaining 23 Super Hornets, each equipped with the Raytheon-built APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, will be delivered to the RAAF throughout 2010 and 2011.

Company Center : The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA)

From DMO's website:

Does anyone else read that as "it's ahead of schedule because DMO had nothing to do with it" .... ?:}

Of course I wouldn't say anything like that, but I could understand how some may.

hit the nail on the head methinks

No more F-22's to be built
 

Obama Praises Senate Vote on F-22 Funding

(Washington, July 22, 2009) -- President Barack Obama praised a Senate vote that struck down $1.75 billion in additional funding in the fiscal 2010 defense budget for more F-22 Raptor fighter jets July 21 here.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recommended to the president earlier this year to end production of the F-22 at the conclusion of its current funding program in fiscal 2009. President Obama had promised to veto a budget proposal from the Congress that allowed for more money for the program.

"I'm grateful that the Senate just voted against an additional $1.75 billion to buy F-22 fighter jets that military experts and members of both parties say we do not need," President Obama said at a news conference following the vote.

"At a time when we are fighting two wars and facing a serious deficit, this would have been an inexcusable waste of money," the president said. "Every dollar of waste in our defense budget is a dollar we can't spend to support our troops or prepare for future threats or protect the American people. Our budget is a zero-sum game, and if more money goes to F-22s, it is our troops and citizens that lose."

The F-22 has not been used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In his 2010 budget recommendations, Secretary Gates favored the newest manned aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The F-35 carries a larger suite of weapons and is better suited for air-to-ground missions such as destroying sophisticated enemy air defenses.

An F-35 also costs half as much as an F-22 and, if supported by the president and Congress, it eventually would become the "backbone of America's tactical aviation fleet for decades to come," Secretary Gates said.

Secretary Gates called the F-22 a "niche, silver-bullet solution for one or two potential scenarios - - specifically the defeat of a highly advanced enemy fighter fleet."

"The F-22, to be blunt, does not make much sense anyplace else in the spectrum of conflict," Secretary Gates said last week in a speech to the Economic Club of Chicago.

By fiscal 2020, the United States will have nearly 2,500 manned combat aircraft in its inventory. Nearly 1,100 will be a combination of F-35s and F-22s.

Secretary Gates has said that accelerating the production of the F-35 will offset job losses of those employed in F-22 production. Pentagon officials plan to buy about 500 F-35s in the next five years, and more than 2,400 over the life of the program. The F-22 program is proposed to be capped at 187 of the fighter jets.

Company Center : US Air Force

Boeing Delivers 3rd Australian F/A-18F Super Hornet
 

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We look forward to continuing to deliver Australia's newest combat aircraft on budget and ahead of schedule

(St. Louis, November 5, 2009) -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it delivered the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) third F/A-18F Block II Super Hornet three months ahead of schedule on Sept. 30, after completing production on the multirole fighter at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems' St. Louis facility.

Boeing publicly debuted the first of the RAAF's 24 Super Hornets in St. Louis on July 8. Each of the three completed aircraft has been delivered three months ahead of schedule.

"We look forward to continuing to deliver Australia's newest combat aircraft on budget and ahead of schedule, as promised," said Carolyn Nichols, Boeing F/A-18F program manager for Australia. "Successful early delivery of these aircraft is a direct result of the great teamwork between Australia's Defence Materiel Organisation, the Royal Australian Air Force, the U.S. Navy, Boeing and the entire Hornet Industry Team."

The remaining RAAF Super Hornets, each equipped with the Raytheon-built APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, will be delivered through 2011.

"The Block II F/A-18F Super Hornet will provide the RAAF with an enhanced air combat capability across the spectrum of missions, with a twin-engine design that is ideal for our maritime operational requirements," said Group Capt. Steve Roberton, Head Air Combat Transition Office, Royal Australian Air Force.

Australia became the first international Super Hornet customer in March 2007, when the Australian government announced its intent to acquire 24 of the fighters.

The Block II F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a multirole aircraft able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. Boeing has delivered more than 410 F/A-18E/Fs to the U.S. Navy. Every Super Hornet produced has been delivered on or ahead of schedule.

Source : The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA)

Budget fear puts off buy-up of F-35 jets | The Australian


[QUOTE]Budget fear puts off buy-up of F-35 jets
Patrick Walters, National security editor From: The Australian November 12, 2009 12:00AM Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size Print Email Share Add to Digg Add to del.icio.us Add to Facebook Add to Kwoff Add to Myspace Add to Newsvine What are these?
THE RAAF's plan to acquire up to 100 F-35 joint strike fighters faces a further delay until next year as budget pressures continue to bear down on the Rudd government.

In a long-awaited decision, cabinet's national security committee was due to sign off on the $16 billion purchase before Christmas.

But defence budget pressures and Defence Department concerns about Australia becoming the lead foreign customer for the initial production models of the F-35 fighter are expected to force a postponement until the new year of a government green light for the acquisition.

The expected delay in the NSC's consideration of the joint strike fighter purchase comes as an annual review undertaken by Pentagon analysts found the F-35 program could cost an additional $16bn and face a two-year slippage unless remedial action was taken.

The F-35 joint strike fighter is a "fifth-generation fighter" earmarked to replace the RAAF's F-111 bombers and the FA 18 fighters from later next decade in what will be Australia's largest defence buy.

Already, the planned acquisition has slipped by at least two years, with the air force not due to get its first operational squadron until 2018-19 at the earliest.

The initial squadron could be trimmed to as few as 14 aircraft as Defence planners struggle to find further savings in the $27bn defence budget.

The current plan is for four operational squadrons each consisting of 24 aircraft.

Further delays in the acquisition will mean the RAAF will extend the planned in-service life of its new FA 18 super hornet fighters well into the 2020s.

The RAAF is still planning to buy two F-35s for test and evaluation purposes about 2014 but this timetable could also slip depending on the government's willingness to commit to the joint strike fighter program next year.

So far, only Britain and The Netherlands have agreed to buy test and evaluation aircraft, but none of the US's key JSF partners has signed up to production aircraft.

In an interview with US defence weekly, DefenseNews, the Pentagon's undersecretary of defence for acquisition, Ashton Carter, said earlier this week the findings of a "joint estimate team" showed some costs increases and schedule slips "which we should do everything we can to avoid."

"Those are forecasts which say what will happen if we don't change what we are doing.

"And we should change what we are doing so that those predictions don't come fully to pass," he said.

Mr Carter said he would convene a major meeting on the F-35 program on November 21-22 with one option likely to involve shortening the planned flight test program for the aircraft.

Defence Materiel Minister Greg Combet remains convinced the F-35 is the best choice for the RAAF's next-generation fighter.

On a visit to Washington last month, Mr Combet came away impressed with the Pentagon's commitment to the multi-billion-dollar F-35 program.

"Tens of billions have already been committed to the program, and the US is determined that it will succeed," Mr Combet said.

Sorry Trojan, I'm missing something. The article's talking about extending the Super Hornets. I assume you're talking about the F/A-18A's? :confused:

It is, I missed that and will edit to suit. But it doesn't adequately explain the fate of the classics between now and when the F-35 is operational. The timeframe suggests that at least some classics will remain in service beyond 2020.

Indeed, otherwise there'll be a number of pilots sitting around twiddling their thumbs & looking for a ride...:( So, I guess it's a fair assumption.

Actually, re reading it, I think it may be a typo & you were probably correct anyway. Why would a service life of 18-20 years be an "extension"? If they were leased or something, then perhaps it could mean extending their time in RAAF service rather than life extensions...

This is why I sit behind a desk! :rolleyes:

;)

Classic Hornets post 2020? No thanks... :eek:

They won't be bored or demotivated....
DP has lots of ground jobs to keep everybody happy

Super Hornet Aircraft Sustainment Contract
 

The contract is vital for effective support of the RAAF's fleet of Super Hornets
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(December 16, 2009) -- The project to acquire Australia's new fighter aircraft, the Super Hornet, took another step forward today with the signing of the sustainment contract with The Boeing Company.

The Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, Greg Combet, said today that the signing of the Super Hornet Aircraft Sustainment Contract is worth approximately $20 million per annum, and provides for about 74 jobs at RAAF Base Amberley for three years.

"Under the contract the Boeing Company will provide engineering, supply chain management and maintenance services to support F/A-18F Super Hornet operations," Mr Combet said.

"The contract is vital for effective support of the RAAF's fleet of Super Hornets when they arrive at RAAF Amberley early next year.

"Boeing Defence Australia, the major sub-contractor to The Boeing Company, will provide a significant portion of the labour resources.

"This contract integrates local Australian expertise with Boeing's experience as the major support provider to the U.S. Navy's Super Hornet fleet which will deliver the best solution for sustaining our new Super Hornets."

The Super Hornet project is running on budget and ahead of schedule.

"The first four of Australia's Super Hornets will arrive at RAAF Base Amberley in March/April 2010 with the remaining aircraft to be progressively introduced throughout the remainder of 2010 and 2011," Mr Combet said.

Australia is acquiring 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets to aid the transition to a mature Joint Strike Fighter capability, and allow Air Force to retire the F-111 fleet in December 2010.

Source : MoD Australia

I heard that they where stoping in New Zealand on the way over from the US. Dose anyone know when and where they will be here if at all?

AKL, March 22...shhhh;)

Any chance of one or two of them remaining in NZ for the Wanaka show, d'ya rekon??

Two chances, one of them's none!

heap of ****........can't say any better

Thanks Bro:ok:

Can't get them here soon enough! Australia has always had a multi-layered deterrent depending on which period. More than a match for possible adversaries in a regional skirmish.

Subs- long range bombers- fighter bombers with tankers- maritime surveillance aircraft- naval surface forces.

Now we were supposed to have fighter bombers, with tankers, AWACS & long range "stealthy" cruise missiles. A potent sub force. JSF replacing F111 etc etc.

Realistically, what we will have is to go to war with in the next 5 year plus period will be heavily structured around the Super Hornet. The navy is in tatters- above and below the surface. Weapons platforms replacing the F111 are plagued with development problems ( JSF and the cruise missiles ).

The Super Hornet is it! Despite JSF tunnel vision. Thankfully the GFC has slowed down the re-arming of the region. If we were serious about near to medium term defence threats to this country, a second x 24 order for Super Hornets would have been sensible.