Wonder if a few Super Hornets with kangaroos on the side might show up as well...

"Wonder if a few Super Hornets with kangaroos on the side might show up as well..."


Wishful thinking - remember, that means putting ADF hardware in harms way
and I don't think the pollies have the balls to do that.

But it would be good if they did. Great training.

.

Well I seem to remember tanking with some West Island F18s over Iraq so maybe they do have the cojones.

That was then, this is now.

I hope they do go.

So why the fcku aren't all the other Arab states with their fancy toys (think Saudi) enforcing the NFZ. Why the Western nations?

Are they saying that, despite the money expended on state of the art aircraft, and (attendance) training to get their aircrew up to speed, that they really aren't worth jack ****?

Must do wonders for their sense of pride.

Hasn't the odd RAAF Pig headed up to that part of the world in years past?
Or is all that stuff classified...?
R/e Saudi - I remember reading a post once about some drivers being too frightened to fly the kit they had - may be nothing has changed - Princes playing at being knucks...?

When will the Libyan Airshow will get under way? Anymore dithering and there will be no one alive to defend.

Every now and again you get to watch someone destroy their credibility on this site.
For 500 minus
RAAF hercs and P3 have now been deployed in the MEAO since 2003....for your info that is a little longer than that small battle called WWII.
C17s make regular visits
The Army has had Chinooks there for many years now.
Both Hercs and Chinooks have received ground fire, a lot as it happens
What if ANY point are you trying to make?
As for sending RAAF fighters to the other side of the world when there are 20 other NATO countries there to crush a nut with a sledge hammer....why?

well for a start we've got KRudd bumping his gums calling for a NFZ. We'd better put our money [Air Force assets] where our mouth is...

Errm - just asking a question about the Pigs in the past - that's all Biggles... and wondering if Aust will be asked to/offer to contribute fast jets... no axe to grind tiger...

I think you will find KRudd is more interested in shooting down Julia than he is fighting Gaddafi....
I would like the PM....I mean foreign minister now to say what the plan is he has the NFZ up and running. Keeping a few clapt out Migs and Hinds from flying isn't going to change the outcome of this. There must be some fascinating Intell floating around.
I don't see how there can be a change on the ground unless ground troops are sent in?
what is the end game we want in this?

Not directed at you Tartare, your questions are very reasonable. There are reasons why there isn't any practical reason to send them. My point was to the other individual who suggested it was not to put ADF hardware in harms way when in reality they are already in the MEAO and have been for over 7 years.

As a non-military pilot - a question for you fastjet drivers - given the CAF have only 4800 mi approx to commute to downtown TIP - and the RAAF would have approx 10,000 mi to ferry - does the issue of "it's simply too far away" become a factor in Govts deciding whether to deploy?
I realise the Super-Hornets got down here in the first place via a very long flight - but I'd hate to be island hopping half-way round the world in a military fast jet.
Slightly different prospect to the global reach a C17 has.

ozbiggles

I don't think I shot any cred down that I had - I was saying the pollies haven't got any balls to go the whole way.

"What if ANY point are you trying to make?"
I think you answered it in your following post
"I would like the PM....I mean foreign minister now to say what the plan is he has the NFZ up and running."

If Aust wants to grand stand on the world stage and be the US Lt or Sherriff of the Asia Pacific - and push for a seat on the UN Sec Council, then how about we actually do something instead of asking it to be done.

We've called for a no fly zone, we have assets that can be used, now it has been called, why not use them.

I am sure you have read the thread re Aust Helos, I suppose some of my thoughts come from that.

I know what assets we have in theatre and I know they have been shot up
and good on the service people for doing a great job. But how about Aust steps up and puts some of it's offensive assets to use and in support of our boys on the ground. To some extent, we always seem to do piece meal, supportive ops and little of the blunt end. Why couldn't our F111's, F18 and Super Hornets be used over there (and Tiger's in the future). No point in training all the time if we never find out if it works for real.

We (as in the pollies, NOT the RAAF) seem to be so risk averse.

ozbiggles
Do you see any of our fast jets being used for the NFZ ?
(and although it is thread drift, do you ever see Aust deploying Tigers for Inf support).

Krudd has been on the radio this afternoon, applauding the move to the NFZ, giving it Australia's full support and then saying that it's up to NATO as the local friendly to manage it. :ugh:

Nicely summed up here from the Australian.

"The UN Security Council resolution comes just days after Mr Rudd criticised the body for its failure to act to protect the Libyan people from attacks by dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

He said there was no suggestion Australian fighter jets should be used to enforce the no-fly zone."


“If the no-fly zone was imposed in this part of the world, Australian assets would be considered for possible inclusion for any such UN operation. And we would consider this possibility,” Mr Rudd said.


“This is in North Africa. It is adjacent to the NATO zone, it is across the Mediterranean from the NATO zone. This is primarily the responsibility of adjoining states.”


Mr Rudd said the military effort would now be critical to preventing further loss of civilian life in Libya.


Julia Gillard, who appeared less hawkish on the need for a no-fly zone than Mr Rudd, welcomed the resolution as an important measure to stop dictator attacking the Libyan people.


"The Australian government was among the first to call for decisive action by the international community, including a UN-mandated no-fly zone," the Prime Minister said in a statement.




Yes, that's right, we are one of the first to call for it but don't expect us to put anything in as it's not in our area.

UN approves NFZ - Brit flyboys prepare for action.

Tally Ho chasps!

;)

I reckon some F-22s will be on the way to the med very soon from the 1st FW.

Aussie F18's, aren't they too busy practicing for the clipsal? :rolleyes: :E

Good luck to any guys and gals who take part, give em hell.

Norwegian minister of defence is talking about sending F-16 and/or P-3C in the media today.

Not the first time watching Libya. ISTR that in 1991 the UN declared a trade embargo with Libya following the Lockerbie bombing - the major ISTAR asset (in the days before it was called ISTAR) was tasked to periodically monitor Libya for air breaches. We would fly from UK (non-tanked) to south of Italy and watch for about 4-5 hours. We would then return home - again with no tanker. (Mt Etna on Sicily was erupting at the time, and the lava flows made interesting watching at night, but I digress). These missions to Libya ceased when tasking came through to watch arms smuggling into the former Yugoslavia under operation Maritime Monitor. (MM eventually turned into the NFZ/Op Deny Flight, or Deny Wife as it was known to the hard pressed crews). Mind you, we flew between 800 and 1,000 hours a year in those days which is something of a change to the present.

u/s on start!
 

Oh dear, here we go...!

With redundancies on the near horizon, along with WW3 both in the Middle East and at home, isn't this a good a time as any to go u/s on start?

Put me down on the record for saying that within minutes of the first bomb landing, we will hear of civilian casualties, holy wars being revisited and bringing the war back onto our soil.

Can someone remind me of the air assets of the countries in the Arab League please. :confused:


Anyone else surprised with the voicelessness of Shami Chakrabarti over the last few weeks? As a regular, surely she would be a prime Question Time panelist with recent world events.
Apart from a stint on 'The Wright Stuff' where all she would say was ' in hindsight, perhaps we were naive', when briefly questioned why she, as a member of the board of the LSE, accepted £1.5 million from Gadaffis son, (not to mention the £2.2 mill civil service training contract) ..she is conspicuous by her absense. :suspect:

A handful of Typhoons to be based in Malta possibly and Palermo is quite nice at this time of year apparently.

The ADF is risk averse with real hardware. Early A/Stan we sent F-18's to Diego Garcia. That is about as far from the action as you can get. A few F-18's in GW2 for a few weeks and scurry back home.

Ju-Liar and KRUdd are big talkers and no action. Krudd says "oh that is NATO's backyard"....:=

OK Kevvie get real and do something instead of talking..:}

Re-open El Adem?

BBC reporting that MPs will be given the chance to debate and vote on this next week.
No need for any no fly zone by then I'd guess. :(

Interesting point about Malta. Neutrality is enshrined in their 1987 Constitution with one vital caveat:

"Malta is a neutral state actively pursuing peace, security and social progress among all nations by adhering to a policy of non-alignment and refusing to participate in any military alliance.
Such a status will, in particular, imply that:
(a) no foreign military base will be permitted on Maltese territory;
(b) no military facilities in Malta will be allowed to be used by any foreign forces except at the request of the Government of Malta, and only in the following cases:
(i) in the exercise of the inherent right of self-defence in the event of any armed violation of the area over which the Republic of Malta has sovereignty, or in pursuance of measures or actions decided by the Security Council of the United Nations; "

Wonder if that last point will be mentioned by the world and his dog asking for basing facilities at Luqa?

See timesofmalta.com - Malta's neutrality provisions face sternest test

SiloeSid wrote

Probably one of the most useful assets would be the Algerian Air Force? They have Su-30MKA Flankers and can support them with their IL-78 Midas tankers.

After a quick spin on the web it appears that Algeria has reservations and had initially opposed it.

The vote approving the no-fly zone was opposed by Syria and Algeria on the grounds that such action could lead to foreign intervention. However, in an address to his Arab League peers, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci called for guaranteeing Libya’s security and territorial integrity, APS reported.

Arab League backs Libya no-fly zone (Magharebia.com)

TJ

I have to say Silsoesid sums up a major point here.
The politicians have unleashed the dogs of war and will be the first to look for someone to blame as soon as there is some bad PR.
For the non Aus here we have had a our dumped ex PM, now foreign minister running around on every form of media we have here pumping for this NFZ and then offering nothing to help out.(more about making himself look more in charge than the person who rolled him for PM). He knew full well we wouldn't send anything to help because 1. Its too far and 2. NATO would do the job
The same politicians who are putting on a court martial for some Aussie Army troops who under fire in the sandpit chucked a grenade back and tragically killed a child....but that is the tragic certainty of war.
The same politicians in GB who are cutting back on the military at the same time as they send them off to another war zone.
And what for in this case?
I fail to see what a NFZ alone will achieve here?
A case of pollies in all countries doing something to make themselves look good, but washing their hands of all responsibility.

Lets start with the most likely contributor:

Military of Comoros - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thats two SF260s into the mix!

What about Lampedusa? Its a nice place now that Libyans have stopped all of those horrible migrants over-running the place. Actually I feel a bit sorry for those migrants - they spend all of their money and risk life and limb to make a new start in life. The next thing they know they're banged up in a Libyan jail, then released, given a gun a told to go and fight the rebels. And now they're going to be bombed by the very countries they were trying to get to. I bet they wonder where or earth did it all go so wrong.

Any news on what we might be contributing? ISTAR? Tankers? Mudmovers? AD? All of the above? :eek:

Apaches from the flight-deck of err... Then again maybe not.

Typhoons to be deployed.
 

Just announced on the news that Typhoons will be deployed to 'an airfield' to enforce the NFZ.

I think we should send Billy Vague and his 'room partner' out to hold Matt's sheet in the desert.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...hotos/matt.jpg"

S@@T just got real!

Tiffies finally get to prove there worth! :ok:

Is someone having an Air Display this early in the year?

(Tongue in cheek of course - let's hope that this PM's battles are short, sharp, and unscathed.)

Cameron has just announced that my 'All of the above' option has been taken!

AAR, ISTAR, Tiffy & Tornado.....:ok:

According to Cameron so are Tornado, AAR and ISTAR.

Safe Out & Safe Back
 

So let's hope they have bases left open to return to whenever that may be.......

Just wondered how good the Typhoon and Tornados are going to be if they have to engage ground targets.

This could be interesting