E or F?

Based where?

Naked, the info you are after is already contained in this lengthy thread. All 24 aircraft will be the 2 seater "F" variant (the last 12 having extra wiring to allow fitting of "Growler" hardware) and they will be based at RAAF Base Amberley, the current base for the aircraft they are replacing.

GB I think Naked was querying Gnad's suggestion of a follow-on order, ie order what type? base them where? ...

Yep, after Gnads follow on thoughts. 2 sqns of E's at Tindal, centralising A's to Williamtown?

GB, errr thanks.

Naked, my apologies.

The idea of buying more superbugs is a distinct possibility as LM has just told the US Congress that there is another year's delay before the F35's Entry Into Service and the cost per aircraft has risen to over US$100 million.

Wasn't it Senator Killen who stated allll those years ago.....

'There are lies, damn'd lies, and F-111 estimates'......

Same Same....???

:ouch:

Yep. I'm scared.

Defense Chiefs and Government paint a picture of a world that requires Australia having 100 5th generation, fantasy jets. And a strategic environment that requires air warfare destroyers, helicopter carriers with a view to 12 x fantasy, monster, conventional submarines that are not even in existence today.

Yet in the next 5 to 10 years our core deterrence will be 24 Super Hornets, leftover legacy Hornets and 1 to 3 submarines. The surface fleet is in tatters by accounts and something as simple as army aviation ( considering our exposure to proven American capabilities ) is budget sapping and under delivering.

Doesn't make sense to me. Considering the entrepreneurialism of Australia in all things other than government. Perhaps we need a board of business elite on defense projects.

Griffo - er, No
 

Sir Denis James "Jim" Killen AC, KCMG was the member for Moreton (Qld); he was never a senator.

I don't think Killen had much to do with the F111 purchases, as this was signed off under H2; although he did have a fair bit to do with the F/A18s (minister for Defence).

(I am definitely showing my age, and yep, I did vote for Jim)

TKS for that,.....

Just seem to remember the particular quote was from him.

I guess he would have been 'in opposition' at the time to have made it.....

Anyhow, for THAT sort of $'sss....HOPE they work, and last for a while before being 'superceded' in our area of ops....

Cheers

Abolish Tri-Service
 

I'll take the bait.

Abolish tri-service. There you go, there's the simple answer.

Australia could do no better than modelling its defence force on the US Marine Corps where every member of the defence force is a soldier first, where each is committed to a common uniform, language and capability, rather than what we have now, namely; each arm speaking a separate language and not being able to integrate when the sh1t really hits the fan.

Get rid of this archaic tri service set up which wastes so much infrastructure.

Top heavy bureaucracy is great when you go in a straight line, but the moment you need to maneouvre quickly it topples.

The Canadians did this and it hasn't been a great success. I agree with getting rid of a lot of duplication but I'd advocate getting each service to do what they do best, ie all vessels including landing craft should be maintained and supported by the Navy, all aircraft should be maintained and supported by the Air Force and all land based defence activities (including RAAF Air Defence Guards etc) should be done by the Army.

The British are currently building two large aircraft carriers but the Royal Air Force will "own" the aircraft that are deployed on them. The crewing of them will probably be a 50-50 mix between the RAF and RN but the maintenance and long term support will be done by the RAF. This came about because the RN displayed an inability to develop the Sea Harrier throughout its service life - it had the potential for significant gains in capability mainly through software development but the RN didn't have the infrastructure/personnel to drive these improvements. The RAF has the infrastructure and experience to ensure that the JSF will continue to develop throughout its service life.

I believe that Air Force maintainers have a better focus on all things aviation whereas the Navy aircraft maintenance staff are split between naval and aviation interests. Similarly, the army staff who carry out helicopter maintenance have impressed on them that they are soldiers first and maintenance engineers second - the system results in a fairly high turnover rate and thus overall experience levels remain low.

Thems fightin' words!

Not going to pick the scab off the RAAF-Army stoushes of old, it's been done to death.

Model on the USMC? Probably wouldn't work for political reasons; won't even work on the Army alone. There has been an increasing (waxes and wanes) feel of 'AIF fetish' in Army senior leadership over the last 15 years, and a lot of trivial things imposed that attempt to water down or even eradicate regimental or corps identity. Very little saves money, and almost all of it is deeply resented, certainly outside the Corps of Boots.

Indeed I would argue that without sectional / factional / sectarian interests, and the tension and arguments that it generates, too much group-think would emerge and orthodoxies would less likely be challenged.

Combined CTs and BGs are the Army's future - it's being done successfully now. It's no stretch to see a purple future for more and more of what the ADF does - doesn't mean it has to come at the expense of identity or genuine career choices.

:ok: Couldn't agree more! The Army tells it's aircrew the same thing.

Australian Super Hornets land in NZ


9:06 AM Wednesday Mar 24, 2010


http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webconte...R3_220x147.jpg
The planes are on their way back to Australia from the US.

A squadron of Super Hornets from the Royal Australian Air Force have landed at Auckland International Airport.
The fighter planes touched down last night, on their way back from the United States.
Auckland International Airport spokesman Richard Llewellyn said there was no issue accommodating the planes but the airport did not have a lot of notice.

How can they be on their way back from the US?

They got lost perhaps?

I'll bite :E

That can happen when you abolish your air combat wing .... what if those Super Hornets had been Musorian? :eek:

Launch a couple of F[CT]-4's complete with .303's....:E

Heads up Brisbane & Gold Coast on Friday. The Super Bugs will have a Pig escort and doing a jolly around these areas. Hawk photoship in tow as well.

Now the brisbane residents can think they are being attacked.