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

[Volkodav]

Understand the fighter competition was between F104 and Mirage.
With one European fighter already in the mix does anyone know why the SAAB Draken was not also considered?

Understand that the A7 has a better range and bigger load capability, but would not an A4 have greater compatibility with those operated by the RAN and RNZAF.
Shared training and logistics.

Draken was looked at during the original assessment, liked, but deemed not mature enough. For some reason it was not revisited.

 

[OldTex]

Draken was looked at during the original assessment, liked, but deemed not mature enough. For some reason it was not revisited.

It might have been because Sweden, being neutral at that time, would not provide military equipment (including support) to countries engaged in armed conflict. I seem to remember that being a reason given for the ammunition for the Australian Army Carl Gustav's being embargoed during the Vietnam War (might only have been a rumour)

 

[Severely]

Well in hindsight didn't the French block us using the Mirage in Vietnam anyway. They would embargo weapons and spares. So the venerable Canberra went in.

 

[MickB]

Well in hindsight didn't the French block us using the Mirage in Vietnam anyway. They would embargo weapons and spares. So the venerable Canberra went in.

Recently read an article that states the embargo was not on Australian use of mirage in Vietnam but of Australia being an alternate supply line to Israel.

 

[Stampede]

Draken was looked at during the original assessment, liked, but deemed not mature enough. For some reason it was not revisited.

Draken was dropped on aesthetics only.
It was deemed too ugly.
Nowadays it would be a contemporary style, maybe we should take a second look.

Cheers S

 

[Tbone]

Rheinmetall and Boeing Australia to offer MQ-28 Ghost Bat to Germany - Australian Defence Magazine

Rheinmetall and Boeing Australia have entered into a strategic partnership to offer the MQ-28 Ghost Bat as a mature solution for the Bundeswehr’s procurement of collaborative combat aircraft into Germ...

www.australiandefence.com.au

Have the finalised the latest ghost fo export yet? And what will the RAAF acquisition numbers be? It seems to be moving in the right direction for the ghost bat to be produced in mass! Really need a carrier based version to take off from the LHD’s since everyone is against F-35B’s

 

[hauritz]

Rheinmetall and Boeing Australia to offer MQ-28 Ghost Bat to Germany - Australian Defence Magazine

Rheinmetall and Boeing Australia have entered into a strategic partnership to offer the MQ-28 Ghost Bat as a mature solution for the Bundeswehr’s procurement of collaborative combat aircraft into Germ...

www.australiandefence.com.au

Have the finalised the latest ghost fo export yet? And what will the RAAF acquisition numbers be? It seems to be moving in the right direction for the ghost bat to be produced in mass! Really need a carrier based version to take off from the LHD’s since everyone is against F-35B’s

As things stand the MQ-28 is in competition with the XQ-58 Valkyrie and another undisclosed competitor for an Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (UCCA) to be operational by 2029. Kratos, the makers of the XQ-28, have teamed up with Airbus.

Ghost Bat v Valkyrie: Australia in fierce battle with US for German war drone market

The locally made combat aircraft, which operates without personnel on board, is packed with sensors and is expected to have a range of more than 3700 kilometres.

www.smh.com.au