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HORNET SHOCK: 60per cent of the fleet to be pulled for $500m hull repairs
CANBERRA – The parliamentary committee reviewing the Defence Department’s annual report has called for the Minister for Defence in the incoming Parliament to make a statement on how the government will ensure Australia’s air combat superiority in the region is maintained.
However, HeadsUp has since learned the committee was not adequately briefed on the shock impact of the cost and forced withdrawal from service for essential repairs of more than half the RAAF’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter force over the next decade. From 2006, 60 per cent of the fleet need extensive repairs, which will take a year or even longer for each plane and probably cost in total half a billion dollars. The repair is the replacement of the central part of the Hornet’s fuselage, the “centre barrelâ€
It was not specifically mentioned in the report of the joint standing committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade into Defence, which was issued last week. However, in April, the US contractor L-3 Communications – which bought the military business of Canada’s troubled Bombardier – announced a contract with the RAAF to replace the “centre barrel†of the Australian F/A-18s. It gave no cost. The RAAF says 42 Hornets will need the work. Industry sources say the work will be done in Australia.
The Hornet Australia team of Boeing Australia and BAES Australia will need a special jig to replace the fuselage section (which comes from Northrop Grumman in the US). While each Hornet does not need to be in the jig for the entire repair (which takes more than a year and involves more than 10,000 man hours an aircraft), the work means a substantial number of the RAAF’s frontline fighters won’t be available for service for a considerable time. Pessimists say opening up the Hornets could disclose “surprise†problems, such as corrosion.
Two of the squadrons and the OCU are at RAAF Williamtown, on the NSW coast and are affected by salty sea air. At the same time, the 71-shipfleet will also progressively undergo various stages of the Hornet Upgrade (HUG) re fit at Williamtown, which means each fighter will be withdrawn from service for between six weeks and three months.
The parliamentary report devoted an entire chapter to whether Australia’s air power will be threatened by the decision to withdraw the F-111s in 2010 and the likely late delivery of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The F-111 matter was raised by reports in HeadsUp.
The report makes two recommendations. • “At the start of the next Parliament, the Minister for Defence requests the committee to conduct an inquiry into the ability of the Australian Defence Force to maintain air superiority in our region to 2020.†The second says: • “In 2006, the Government should make a statement focusing on:- the most accurate delivery for the replacement combat aircraft;- the implications on the decision to retire the F-111 in 2010;- the need to ensure that key upgrades and deep maintenance on the F-111 continues through to 2010 with the possibility of extending the life span should the need arise;- the measures the Government will take to ensure that Australia’s superiority in air combat capability in the region is maintained.â€
The conclusions note the committee received “varying opinions†about the F-35, the F/A-22 and F-111. “One of the most notable decisions arising from the Defence Capability Review was the plan to retire the F-111s in 2010.
Previously Defence put the retirement date between 2015 and 2020. “The examination of the decision to retire the F-111 early focused on the adequacy of alternative strike platforms, and the challenge of maintaining capability prior to the acquisition of the F-35 if it is selected in 2006. “If previously planned F-111 upgrades are cancelled and (Boeing Australia’s) Weapons Systems Business Unit (WSBU) scales back then, Defence must ensure that the F-111 is fully effective up to 2010.â€
The committee also said the government needs an “accurate†delivery date on the F-35 and the implications this date will have on the F-111 decision. It also called for: “The need to ensure that key upgrades and deep maintenance on the F-111 continues through to 2010 with the possibility of extending the life span should the need arise; and the measures the Government will take to ensure air superiority in the region is maintained.†(Headsup online publication available at: http://www.headsup.com.au/ )
The Australian Government last year examined the possibility of leasing or acquiring an interim fighter (F-15E Strike Eagle or F/A-18E/F Super Hornet), to replace the F-111 and assist the F/A-18 in it's air defence tasks. They decided it was too expensive and dismissed the idea. Now the F-111 is going to be retired anyway and over half our Hornet fleet is going to be undergoing maintenance.
Perhaps the Government will get the Air Force to try and explain how they can maintain our Air Defence AND strike capabilities with 30 available aircraft as opposed to the 107 aircraft we currently operate!!! (The Government "forced" the Chief Air Marshall of the RAAF to try and explain how 36 world class strike aircraft could be adequatley replaced by the acquisition of JDAM's and a standoff missile!!!) Capabilities which should already BE in our inventory AND integrated on both combat platforms I might add...
Needless to say Defence critics have shot this specious arguments down in flames and I feel sorry for the Chief Air Marshall that he was ever forced into such a ridiculous situation in the first place...
In my opinion to fix this mess up, (1) An interim fighter should be immediately acquired (through purchase or lease), the F-111 should be retired as soon as this interim aircraft is available (to free up funds) and sufficient interim aircraft should be acquired to allow the RAAF to retire the majority of the F/A-18's requiring in order to fund this whole situation.
I personally think around 48 examples of F/A-18E/F should be acquired ASAP. This would allow retirement of the F-111 and the majority of the F/A-18 A/B's as soon as possible and could even improve our capabilities somewhat. This would allow us to operate a force of around 80 F/-18 A/B/E/F's and allow us to provide constant options for the defence of Australia until the JSF's are ready and the F/A-18E/F's can be sold or returned...
CANBERRA – The parliamentary committee reviewing the Defence Department’s annual report has called for the Minister for Defence in the incoming Parliament to make a statement on how the government will ensure Australia’s air combat superiority in the region is maintained.
However, HeadsUp has since learned the committee was not adequately briefed on the shock impact of the cost and forced withdrawal from service for essential repairs of more than half the RAAF’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter force over the next decade. From 2006, 60 per cent of the fleet need extensive repairs, which will take a year or even longer for each plane and probably cost in total half a billion dollars. The repair is the replacement of the central part of the Hornet’s fuselage, the “centre barrelâ€
It was not specifically mentioned in the report of the joint standing committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade into Defence, which was issued last week. However, in April, the US contractor L-3 Communications – which bought the military business of Canada’s troubled Bombardier – announced a contract with the RAAF to replace the “centre barrel†of the Australian F/A-18s. It gave no cost. The RAAF says 42 Hornets will need the work. Industry sources say the work will be done in Australia.
The Hornet Australia team of Boeing Australia and BAES Australia will need a special jig to replace the fuselage section (which comes from Northrop Grumman in the US). While each Hornet does not need to be in the jig for the entire repair (which takes more than a year and involves more than 10,000 man hours an aircraft), the work means a substantial number of the RAAF’s frontline fighters won’t be available for service for a considerable time. Pessimists say opening up the Hornets could disclose “surprise†problems, such as corrosion.
Two of the squadrons and the OCU are at RAAF Williamtown, on the NSW coast and are affected by salty sea air. At the same time, the 71-shipfleet will also progressively undergo various stages of the Hornet Upgrade (HUG) re fit at Williamtown, which means each fighter will be withdrawn from service for between six weeks and three months.
The parliamentary report devoted an entire chapter to whether Australia’s air power will be threatened by the decision to withdraw the F-111s in 2010 and the likely late delivery of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The F-111 matter was raised by reports in HeadsUp.
The report makes two recommendations. • “At the start of the next Parliament, the Minister for Defence requests the committee to conduct an inquiry into the ability of the Australian Defence Force to maintain air superiority in our region to 2020.†The second says: • “In 2006, the Government should make a statement focusing on:- the most accurate delivery for the replacement combat aircraft;- the implications on the decision to retire the F-111 in 2010;- the need to ensure that key upgrades and deep maintenance on the F-111 continues through to 2010 with the possibility of extending the life span should the need arise;- the measures the Government will take to ensure that Australia’s superiority in air combat capability in the region is maintained.â€
The conclusions note the committee received “varying opinions†about the F-35, the F/A-22 and F-111. “One of the most notable decisions arising from the Defence Capability Review was the plan to retire the F-111s in 2010.
Previously Defence put the retirement date between 2015 and 2020. “The examination of the decision to retire the F-111 early focused on the adequacy of alternative strike platforms, and the challenge of maintaining capability prior to the acquisition of the F-35 if it is selected in 2006. “If previously planned F-111 upgrades are cancelled and (Boeing Australia’s) Weapons Systems Business Unit (WSBU) scales back then, Defence must ensure that the F-111 is fully effective up to 2010.â€
The committee also said the government needs an “accurate†delivery date on the F-35 and the implications this date will have on the F-111 decision. It also called for: “The need to ensure that key upgrades and deep maintenance on the F-111 continues through to 2010 with the possibility of extending the life span should the need arise; and the measures the Government will take to ensure air superiority in the region is maintained.†(Headsup online publication available at: http://www.headsup.com.au/ )
The Australian Government last year examined the possibility of leasing or acquiring an interim fighter (F-15E Strike Eagle or F/A-18E/F Super Hornet), to replace the F-111 and assist the F/A-18 in it's air defence tasks. They decided it was too expensive and dismissed the idea. Now the F-111 is going to be retired anyway and over half our Hornet fleet is going to be undergoing maintenance.
Perhaps the Government will get the Air Force to try and explain how they can maintain our Air Defence AND strike capabilities with 30 available aircraft as opposed to the 107 aircraft we currently operate!!! (The Government "forced" the Chief Air Marshall of the RAAF to try and explain how 36 world class strike aircraft could be adequatley replaced by the acquisition of JDAM's and a standoff missile!!!) Capabilities which should already BE in our inventory AND integrated on both combat platforms I might add...
Needless to say Defence critics have shot this specious arguments down in flames and I feel sorry for the Chief Air Marshall that he was ever forced into such a ridiculous situation in the first place...
In my opinion to fix this mess up, (1) An interim fighter should be immediately acquired (through purchase or lease), the F-111 should be retired as soon as this interim aircraft is available (to free up funds) and sufficient interim aircraft should be acquired to allow the RAAF to retire the majority of the F/A-18's requiring in order to fund this whole situation.
I personally think around 48 examples of F/A-18E/F should be acquired ASAP. This would allow retirement of the F-111 and the majority of the F/A-18 A/B's as soon as possible and could even improve our capabilities somewhat. This would allow us to operate a force of around 80 F/-18 A/B/E/F's and allow us to provide constant options for the defence of Australia until the JSF's are ready and the F/A-18E/F's can be sold or returned...
The beauty of out sourcing!