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

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Aussie Digger

Guest
rossfrb_1 said:
So the full production schedule that the article refers to is different from the LRIP?
The last I heard, the CBR project for RAAF hornets was in a state of flux.
And in likelihood not going to procede beyond an initial handful.
Has anything definitive been decided upon that you can relay?
rb
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Yep. There are something like 8 phases of LRIP and RAAF's initial aircraft are going to come from them. I imagine RAAF will acquire enough jets from these phases to equip the OCU and some parts of the first Squadron of F-35's to at least begin the conversion process, which will take years, independent of the production rate of the fighter.

I don't think the delays announced so far are anything for RAAF to get overly concerned about and as always, "options" exist for RAAF to manage any delay in other ways...

Yep, CBR is cancelled after I think around 13 airframes.

The reasons are:

A) Government wants to save money.

B) Technical complexity and the length of the process would mean that most of RAAF's Hornet force would be offline for most of the replacement anyway, meaning that effective capability would not be provided by the CBR anyway.

C) Hornet Industry Coalition doesn't have the capacity to do the job and isn't really interested anyway, even if it did. Canada has abandoned their CBR program mostly for the same reason, I understand...

D) More accurate modelling by DSTO has shown that RAAF can get by (with some restrictions) by continuing the "blending and patching" structural repairs commenced under phase 3.1 of the HUG, that are designed to fix problems identified rather than the proactive CBR approach.
 
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splat

Banned Member
THE RAAF faces at least a two-year delay in acquiring its planned F-35 joint strike fighter force as the Rudd government moves to exert tighter control on the defence budget.

The pressure on defence spending, beginning next year, means the air force will not receive its initial squadron of F-35s until 2017, at the earliest.

The fighter will be Australia's biggest defence purchase and will only be exceeded by a $25billion-plus planned investment later next decade in 12 new-generation submarines.

With the retirement of the F-111 strike force next year, the air combat force will consist of 25-year-old upgraded F/A 18 Hornet fighters supplemented by a single squadron of 24 F/A 18 Super Hornets due to go into service from late next year.

The government has already delayed "second pass" approval for a final go-ahead for the $16bn F-35 purchase until the end of this year. Under the new funding schedule the RAAF will get two F-35 fighters for test and evaluation purposes from 2014.


Wonder if this has anything to do with the reported 2 year delay of JSF production and will the 2 the airforce gets in 2014 be fully operational.
 
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blueorchid

blueorchid

Member
splat said:
THE RAAF faces at least a two-year delay in acquiring its planned F-35 joint strike fighter force as the Rudd government moves to exert tighter control on the defence budget.

The pressure on defence spending, beginning next year, means the air force will not receive its initial squadron of F-35s until 2017, at the earliest.

The fighter will be Australia's biggest defence purchase and will only be exceeded by a $25billion-plus planned investment later next decade in 12 new-generation submarines.

With the retirement of the F-111 strike force next year, the air combat force will consist of 25-year-old upgraded F/A 18 Hornet fighters supplemented by a single squadron of 24 F/A 18 Super Hornets due to go into service from late next year.

The government has already delayed "second pass" approval for a final go-ahead for the $16bn F-35 purchase until the end of this year. Under the new funding schedule the RAAF will get two F-35 fighters for test and evaluation purposes from 2014.
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Would be a good idea to acknowledge the source of this report.

"Patrick Walters, National security editor | August 21, 2009

Article from: The Australian "
 
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splat

Banned Member
On the closed Gripen Red Flag forum i came across a post with a mod edit saying that Kurt Plummer had been banned for nearly 2 years and it was pointless to reply to him.Can anyone tell me why he was banned?
Sorry for posting this enquiry here,didnt know where else to post it.

Post Edit:Also on what forum was he banned?
 
Todjaeger

Todjaeger

Potstirrer
splat said:
On the closed Gripen Red Flag forum i came across a post with a mod edit saying that Kurt Plummer had been banned for nearly 2 years and it was pointless to reply to him.Can anyone tell me why he was banned?
Sorry for posting this enquiry here,didnt know where else to post it.

Post Edit:Also on what forum was he banned?
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As I recall, there was a problem with his comments. From what I remember they were derogatory of other countries/cultures.

-Cheers
 
A

Aussie Digger

Guest
splat said:
On the closed Gripen Red Flag forum i came across a post with a mod edit saying that Kurt Plummer had been banned for nearly 2 years and it was pointless to reply to him.Can anyone tell me why he was banned?
Sorry for posting this enquiry here,didnt know where else to post it.

Post Edit:Also on what forum was he banned?
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This one.... :)

He was banned because he was only interested in telling, not discussing...
 
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hairyman

Active Member
Getting back to the RAAF's Super Hornets, I wonder how many have been handed over now? Are we gettting our 24 in a continuous building run, or in smaller lots of 4 or 6?
 
Todjaeger

Todjaeger

Potstirrer
hairyman said:
Getting back to the RAAF's Super Hornets, I wonder how many have been handed over now? Are we gettting our 24 in a continuous building run, or in smaller lots of 4 or 6?
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IIRC the 24 RAAF SH's were all to be from one build run. I would imagine that once the build is complete, they should start getting transferred over for service fairly quickly once flight testing, etc is completed.

Training would be needed before the RAAF SH's can reach IOC, but that should be starting (the training) fairly quickly once Boeing begins to release the SH's to the RAAF. Perhaps Magoo or Abe can provide more accurate or complete information.

-Cheers
 
A

Aussie Digger

Guest
hairyman said:
Getting back to the RAAF's Super Hornets, I wonder how many have been handed over now? Are we gettting our 24 in a continuous building run, or in smaller lots of 4 or 6?
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They are to be delivered in batches, with the first 4 flown to Australia in March 2010.

The rest will be delivered in batches until the end of 2011 at which point they will all be in-service and all except one (which is remaining in the US for on-going testing, weapons integration work etc) will be based at RAAF Amberley.
 
Todjaeger

Todjaeger

Potstirrer
Aussie Digger said:
They are to be delivered in batches, with the first 4 flown to Australia in March 2010.

The rest will be delivered in batches until the end of 2011 at which point they will all be in-service and all except one (which is remaining in the US for on-going testing, weapons integration work etc) will be based at RAAF Amberley.
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From what I had remembered, the RAAF SH's were all starting production at the same time... Did this get changed when the RAAF elected to have half the order wired wifh the same cabling used in the Growler?

-Cheers
 
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south

Well-Known Member
Training has already begun aswell, there are a bunch of Aircrew (Both Pilot and ACO) over in the states at Lemoore.
 
A

Aussie Digger

Guest
Todjaeger said:
From what I had remembered, the RAAF SH's were all starting production at the same time... Did this get changed when the RAAF elected to have half the order wired wifh the same cabling used in the Growler?

-Cheers
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No, I think that was always the planned schedule. I don't think all 24x airframes commenced production at exactly the same time.

I think even Boeing would find it difficult to manage this many production lines, simultaneously...

:)
 
blueorchid

blueorchid

Member
Todjaeger said:
From what I had remembered, the RAAF SH's were all starting production at the same time... Did this get changed when the RAAF elected to have half the order wired wifh the same cabling used in the Growler?

-Cheers
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The RAAF's S/H's are comming from USN orders(the USN agree to let the RAAF take 24 from their production run) their is no way that 24 A/c can start production at the same time.

Cheers
 
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Ozzy Blizzard

New Member
Aussie Digger said:
No, I think that was always the planned schedule. I don't think all 24x airframes commenced production at exactly the same time.

I think even Boeing would find it difficult to manage this many production lines, simultaneously...

:)
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I think they are all on the line at the same time though.
 
Todjaeger

Todjaeger

Potstirrer
Ozzy Blizzard said:
I think they are all on the line at the same time though.
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From what I vaguely remember, that is essentially the case. I do not remember if I read it in Australian Aviation or whether it was in AW&ST, but the gist of the article I had read was that work had started on the production run which was going to the RAAF. Part of the reason why the USN was willing to allow the RAAF to take 24 SHornet slots is because the RAAF was taking an entire production run. This in turn meant the aside from just pushing back delivery dates for the USN (which was acceptable for a variety of reasons) IIRC it would not result in the delivery aircraft #'s out of sync i.e. at a sqd level, the entire unit would still be comprised of the same aicraft.

If someone could confirm the Boeing St. Louis build cycle/practice for the SHornet that would be great (hint, hint, hint...):D

-Cheers
 
A

Aussie Digger

Guest
Ozzy Blizzard said:
I think they are all on the line at the same time though.
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Not necessarily. The run of RAAF aircraft, 1 - 24 is from the entire run, ie: every airframe on the production line after RAAF airframe number 1 will be a RAAF aircraft until aircraft 24 is manufactured however this doesn't mean there are 24 RAAF aircraft in a row on the production line.

As I understand things, the RAAF Shornets to be "wired" for Growler modification (the last 12 airframes) haven't yet entered the production stage. Long lead items, undoubtedly but "on" the production line? Not yet...
 
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hairyman

Active Member
In the RAAF, how many aircraft are in a squadron nowadays? We have ordered 24 F18-F's, does this mean they will form a squadron of 24, or will some be held over for other purposes?
 
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