Royal Australian Air Force [RAAF] News, Discussions and Updates
I am not sure what sort of role the LHD will have in the future. Now that the army has been retasked and will have its own fleet of medium and large landing craft a new role may have to be found for these vessels. A mothership for UAVs, USVs and UUVs might be on the cards.
I would argue the opposite and say the LHD's will be needed more than ever, long range heavy carry capacity, large capacity for troops, fuel bunkerage, small arms munitions bunkerage, and most importantly, Command and Control facilities, rotary wing capacity and many more reasons, the landing craft I see are complimentary to the LHD's and are more of a force multiplier rather than a replacement.
Cheers
MARKMILES77
Active Member
Defence Technology Review is now free to anyone who registers:
dtrmagazine.com
Browsing through the March 2024 issue came across something that really shocks me regarding the Ghost Bat UAV.
Don't think it has been mentioned here unless I missed it?
There are NO PLANS to arm it with any type of weapon, air to air or air to ground. It is simply a sensor platform.
Not even sure it has space for a weapons bay?
Seems like an incredible waste of what could be an amazing strike platform!
Home - Defence Technology Review
IN THIS ISSUE ACCESS CURRENT ISSUE SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO DTR GUIDED WEAPONS & MUNITIONS New RAN missiles go long DTR details the capability and technology behind the acquisition of new SM-2 and SM-6 variants for the Royal Australian Navy. Read the full article THE LANGFORD FILES...
dtrmagazine.com
Don't think it has been mentioned here unless I missed it?
There are NO PLANS to arm it with any type of weapon, air to air or air to ground. It is simply a sensor platform.
Not even sure it has space for a weapons bay?
Seems like an incredible waste of what could be an amazing strike platform!
I’m glad to see DTR is now free to registered users.Defence Technology Review is now free to anyone who registers:
Browsing through the March 2024 issue came across something that really shocks me regarding the Ghost Bat UAV.Home - Defence Technology Review
IN THIS ISSUE ACCESS CURRENT ISSUE SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO DTR GUIDED WEAPONS & MUNITIONS New RAN missiles go long DTR details the capability and technology behind the acquisition of new SM-2 and SM-6 variants for the Royal Australian Navy. Read the full article THE LANGFORD FILES...
Don't think it has been mentioned here unless I missed it?
There are NO PLANS to arm it with any type of weapon, air to air or air to ground. It is simply a sensor platform.
Not even sure it has space for a weapons bay?
Seems like an incredible waste of what could be an amazing strike platform!
Not sure I would read too much into that. The same story links to another article where they discuss weapon options and confirm that it is designed to bring kinetic as well as non-kinetic effects to the RAAF.Defence Technology Review is now free to anyone who registers:
Browsing through the March 2024 issue came across something that really shocks me regarding the Ghost Bat UAV.Home - Defence Technology Review
IN THIS ISSUE ACCESS CURRENT ISSUE SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO DTR GUIDED WEAPONS & MUNITIONS New RAN missiles go long DTR details the capability and technology behind the acquisition of new SM-2 and SM-6 variants for the Royal Australian Navy. Read the full article THE LANGFORD FILES...
Don't think it has been mentioned here unless I missed it?
There are NO PLANS to arm it with any type of weapon, air to air or air to ground. It is simply a sensor platform.
Not even sure it has space for a weapons bay?
Seems like an incredible waste of what could be an amazing strike platform!
At the moment it is still in development and I suspect that as the design matures new roles will be found for it.
1st Triton on it's way to Australia : Australia's first long-range Triton maritime surveillance drone set to arrive amid concerns over boat arrivals
"Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton Remotely Piloted Aircraft System arrived on home soil today at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory. The MQ-4C Triton is a high altitude, long endurance, remotely piloted aircraft system, which will provide long-range, persistent surveillance across Australia’s maritime approaches and its broader areas of interest. The MQ-4C Triton fleet will be based at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory, and operated by Royal Australian Air Force Aircrew of the reformed Number 9 Squadron at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia. Once in service, the MQ-4C Triton and the P-8A Poseidon aircraft will operate as a ‘family of systems’ to provide Defence’s Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability. Defence will continue to work with industry to support our workforces, to deliver the priorities and capabilities our nation requires to protect Australia and its national interests." Image Source : ADF Image Library
In relation to medium range air defence in Senate estimates on June 5 page 79
ADF (through acting VCDF) asserted that the project continues in the integrated investment program under a different project title — Joint Battle Management System.
ADF (through acting VCDF) asserted that the project continues in the integrated investment program under a different project title — Joint Battle Management System.
MARKMILES77
Active Member
RAAF Super Hornets to be the launch vehicle for testing of US Hypersonic weapons at Woomera.
www.twz.com
Australian F/A-18F Super Hornets To Test Launch U.S. Air Force's Hypersonic Cruise Missiles
Expansive ranges needed to test hypersonic weapons are in limited supply and high demand in the U.S., and the Australian outback offers better security.
www.twz.com
There seems to be a certain inevitability that eventually the ADF will be comprised almost entirely of autonomous vehicles. Looking forward the airforce will be acquiring new transport aircraft and our trainers will soon need replacing but after that things become a little murky.
The Rhinos and Growlers will theoretically remain flying until the mid to late 2030s and I think it is likely that these aircraft will be replaced by autonomous vehicles. I can see future iterations of the Ghost Bat replacing both these aircraft types.
The tanker fleet will likely need replacing around the same time. These may end up being replaced by a mix of manned and unmanned aircraft with the possibility that they could be entirely replaced by unmanned aircraft such as the MQ-25.
The F-35, Poseidons and other aircraft types will continue into the 40s and 50s by which time autonomous technology should have matured.
In other words the MQ-4C probably represents a significant milestone for the RAAF as far as unmanned aircraft are concerned. It isn’t the first unmanned vehicle but it is probably the first to at least partially replace a manned aircraft.
P8 LRASM testing nearly finished. I wonder how long till out P8s get them.
breakingdefense.com
P-8 LRASM testing expected to wrap this summer, Boeing official says - Breaking Defense
Boeing will also soon begin flight testing a multimission pod developed with internal funds, according to company official Jon Spore.
breakingdefense.com
Bluey 006
Active Member
RAAF Super Hornets would look good with a few of these - Air launched SM6
Redlands18
Well-Known Member
Italian CSG reaches Australia and participates to exercise “Pitch Black 2024” - Naval News
A rare and much welcomed visitor to our shores, with an Air Group made up of F-35Bs, AV/TAV-8Bs, and SH-90s that will participate in Pitch Black 2024. Though not confirmed, Naval News have said that the AV-8s will operate from the Cavour and the F-35Bs from RAAF Darwin during PB 2024.
She has been joined by the FREMM Frigate Alpino.
A rare and much welcomed visitor to our shores, with an Air Group made up of F-35Bs, AV/TAV-8Bs, and SH-90s that will participate in Pitch Black 2024. Though not confirmed, Naval News have said that the AV-8s will operate from the Cavour and the F-35Bs from RAAF Darwin during PB 2024.
She has been joined by the FREMM Frigate Alpino.
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Redlands18
Well-Known Member
Typhoon
F-16
F-2
F/A-18F
F-15
Gripen
F/A-50
F-35
G550 CAEW
PNG PAC-750
There is also a static E-7A
I was readying an article in Warzone regarding a variant of the Poseidon aircraft… it is a RB-8.. so a Bomber variant. This model looks well suited for the RAAF.. with recent dismissal of obtaining the B-21 and the need for long range strike power and a government not willing to pay for a capable airforce. This RB-8 Poseidon Bomber would be the perfect fit for the RAAF to acquire a bomber squadron of between 14-28 aircraft. It has already been a proven design in the P-8 and set up in Australia already. This would be a quick and easy to manage platform to deliver.. long range strike, bombing roles, drone swarms and much much more in an affordable package.
The Case For Stripping The P-8 Poseidon Down Into An RB-8 Multi-Role Arsenal Ship
A non-maritime patrol variant of the P-8 could provide the Air Force with a highly flexible platform for augmenting the bomber force and much more.
www.twz.com