Royal Australian Air Force [RAAF] News, Discussions and Updates

[Takao]

All of the RAAF jets have been delivered with APG-81 and there is no publicly known project to acquire a replacement radar nor is it known whether APG-85 will even be released for export.

In either case, I don’t see how this is a “major impact” for the RAAF? At least for the forseeable future…

Is Northrop Grumman suddenly going to stop supporting the APG-81 any time soon?

All our aircraft have APG-81; it was part of the Block 3F build that most of our aircraft were delivered as.

The problem lies in the chequered history of AIR 6000, what Lockheed promised, what we signed for, and what has actually been delivered. Our aircraft are meant to be Block 4 aircraft. That is the peer capable, carry all our weapons, fighting capability that we were promised and signed for.

Except Block 4 was harder than people thought. So you have it delayed, and some of the upgrades to Block 3F delivered under tech refresh 3.

The problem now is what Block 4 ultimately looks like (will it still include APG-85 if that can't physically fit? what about all the other stuff?). Add questions about what was promised under Block 4 (and paid for in 2018-2023) and what is being billed now as separate. And through all this, we haven't got an aircraft that we were promised - and built a bunch of our strategy on.

I'm ambivalent about the F-35 - but I'd like Lockheed Martin to deliver their promises and I'd like our people to stop being taken in by glossy brochures (I know, I know.....). There should be questions asked about TR-3/Block 4 and if the RAAF is getting what we were told.

 

[John Fedup]

All our aircraft have APG-81; it was part of the Block 3F build that most of our aircraft were delivered as.

The problem lies in the chequered history of AIR 6000, what Lockheed promised, what we signed for, and what has actually been delivered. Our aircraft are meant to be Block 4 aircraft. That is the peer capable, carry all our weapons, fighting capability that we were promised and signed for.

Except Block 4 was harder than people thought. So you have it delayed, and some of the upgrades to Block 3F delivered under tech refresh 3.

The problem now is what Block 4 ultimately looks like (will it still include APG-85 if that can't physically fit? what about all the other stuff?). Add questions about what was promised under Block 4 (and paid for in 2018-2023) and what is being billed now as separate. And through all this, we haven't got an aircraft that we were promised - and built a bunch of our strategy on.

I'm ambivalent about the F-35 - but I'd like Lockheed Martin to deliver their promises and I'd like our people to stop being taken in by glossy brochures (I know, I know.....). There should be questions asked about TR-3/Block 4 and if the RAAF is getting what we were told.

What you describe is the one positive result from Canada’s C-F military procurement process. I have no idea what configuration our first batch of 16 will be but the next 14 should not be accepted without full block 4….and the ECU which I believe is needed for full block 4 configuration.

 

[ADMk2]

All our aircraft have APG-81; it was part of the Block 3F build that most of our aircraft were delivered as.

The problem lies in the chequered history of AIR 6000, what Lockheed promised, what we signed for, and what has actually been delivered. Our aircraft are meant to be Block 4 aircraft. That is the peer capable, carry all our weapons, fighting capability that we were promised and signed for.

Except Block 4 was harder than people thought. So you have it delayed, and some of the upgrades to Block 3F delivered under tech refresh 3.

The problem now is what Block 4 ultimately looks like (will it still include APG-85 if that can't physically fit? what about all the other stuff?). Add questions about what was promised under Block 4 (and paid for in 2018-2023) and what is being billed now as separate. And through all this, we haven't got an aircraft that we were promised - and built a bunch of our strategy on.

I'm ambivalent about the F-35 - but I'd like Lockheed Martin to deliver their promises and I'd like our people to stop being taken in by glossy brochures (I know, I know.....). There should be questions asked about TR-3/Block 4 and if the RAAF is getting what we were told.

That’s fair, but it is hardly RAAF unique. All users are expecting Block IV and waiting increasingly long timeframes to get, at least some of it…

Not much is being said either about what we are going to do with the non-TR3 airframes. There is a large amount of difference I understand between the two and the modification process will not be trivial.

Hopeful that and the Block IV upgrades are rolled out simultaneously, but Lockheed hasn’t been stellar on delivery of it’s promises, only in the making of them.

It’s no wonder Boeing won F-47…

 

[John Fedup]

It’s no wonder Boeing won F-47…

The KC-46 doesn't exactly cover Boeing with glory along with several other C-Fs....and NG didn't come to the USAF NGAD competition. I guess the booze hound at the DoW is stupid enough to give a possible USN F/A XX contract to Boeing as well (especially if Trump sees some financial benefit).

 

[Takao]

Not much is being said either about what we are going to do with the non-TR3 airframes. There is a large amount of difference I understand between the two and the modification process will not be trivial.

AFAIK, not possible at all. The various Blocks would have been called F-35A, F-35C, F-35E, F-35H in previous worlds.

But, quite frankly, there is your Hawk replacement. Combine them with the superb simulators that AIR 6000 bought; reinvest the Hawk replacement money in more important capabilities. I get it's not perfect - but this is the ADF of minimal viable capability....

However - I'd rather hand-to-hand a rabid tiger than stand between a RAAFie and a new plane

 

[swerve]

AFAIK, not possible at all. The various Blocks would have been called F-35A, F-35C, F-35E, F-35H in previous worlds.

In previous worlds, the F-18E/F/G would be the F-24A/B/C, the F-16E/F might be the F-25A/B, & the F-35A/B/C the F-26, F-27 & F-28.

I find it irritating that having developed & implemented a carefully thought out comprehensive designation system, it was casually discarded without any discussion or announcement.