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

[t68]

I thought all F111 were nuke capable, well that answer’s my question.
All the u bute stuff would taken out and just the airframe itself would be donated that’s what i thought would happen, not unlike the o boats in Holbrook and Fremantle were u can walk thru them and would appear most gear is still intact, would be nice if Temora could keep a couple in flying condition but i don’t know the laws on that prospect would be.

 

[gf0012-aust]

I thought all F111 were nuke capable, well that answer’s my question.
All the u bute stuff would taken out and just the airframe itself would be donated that’s what i thought would happen, not unlike the o boats in Holbrook and Fremantle were u can walk thru them and would appear most gear is still intact, would be nice if Temora could keep a couple in flying condition but i don’t know the laws on that prospect would be.

The Oberons were not US provisioned. They're UK hence not bound by FMS provisions

 

[jack412]

Australian airmen sharpen skills at Red Flag
Australian airmen sharpen skills at Red Flag
fa-18 this time, we left the f111 at home

DoD has some hi res picks from red flag this month,
Image Galleries 2010 - Department of Defence
01 March 2010
Australian crews continue to shine at Red Flag
Royal Australian Air Force aircraft and personnel have arrived at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to participate in the United States Air Force’s most advanced international air combat training activity, Exercise Red Flag, which commences on Sunday 21 February.

No 77 Squadron from RAAF Base Williamtown are leading the activity, with eight F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet aircraft and approximately 160 Air Force personnel from across Australia deploying to Exercise Red Flag to conduct complex air combat missions at one of the world’s best training facilities.

 

[hairyman]

From The Age.

Warning on delays for fighter jets SIMON MANN AND KIRSTY NEEDHAM
March 13, 2010
.Australia could be delivered aircraft with stripped-back war fighter capabilities, in addition to facing further cost blow-outs to the Joint Strike Fighter program, a leading analyst has said.

The price for each of the US-built new-generation fighter jets that will form the centrepiece of Australia's future air defences is nearing $122 million - more than double the 2001 estimate.


With the increased cost of the F35, the delays, and now stripped back war fighter capabilities, is it not time for Australia to be considering a Plan B, ie, other aircraft?

 

[SpudmanWP]

Nobody has said that Blk 3 will not be ready when the RAAF gets it's jets. Not only that, the first squadron of the F-35s for the RAAF will be in the US for the first year or so, just like the F/A-18Fs.

 

[OpinionNoted]

With the increased cost of the F35, the delays, and now stripped back war fighter capabilities, is it not time for Australia to be considering a Plan B, ie, other aircraft?[/QUOTE]


Wonder if its time raaf/government put some serious consideration into withdrawing from the f35 aquisition and ramped up the superhornet buy to 100 aircraft,assembling them in country.
Smoothest transition to make and capability is acceptable enough for our needs.

 

[t68]

With the increased cost of the F35, the delays, and now stripped back war fighter capabilities, is it not time for Australia to be considering a Plan B, ie, other aircraft?

Wonder if its time raaf/government put some serious consideration into withdrawing from the f35 aquisition and ramped up the superhornet buy to 100 aircraft,assembling them in country.
Smoothest transition to make and capability is acceptable enough for our needs.[/QUOTE]



If i was a betting man and the F35 slipped to much more and the price grew too much, id bet that we would buy another 48 F/A18EF put out to pasture the most fatigued F/A18A/B and wait for a more favourable time to sort out the F35 problems. We also ordered the 14 F35A LRIP aircraft, don’t know what’s happening with them if they will come here or stay state side for ongoing testing.

I also read in today Melbourne Herald sun that the Rudd government was committed to buying 100 F35Ano matter what the price time will tell i suppose.

 

[jack412]

as of yesterday its the same story, we are getting the f-35
defence.professionals | defpro.com
14:34 GMT, March 12, 2010 The Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner, today confirmed that the Government remains confident the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is the right choice for the Australian Defence Force’s next-generation air combat capability
“As I said on 2 February 2010, the Australian Government’s staged acquisition strategy for the JSF includes significant cost and schedule buffers to deal with project risks which will ensure initial operational capability in 2018 is met.”

 

[walkms00]

Hi all. I was just wondering, serving in the RAAF, is it seven days a week? I am in the process of completing the first testing phase, all jobs are still open to me so far. My particular interest is in becoming either an Air combat officer or an air traffic controller. So 7 days or something different?

 

[Aussie Digger]

From The Age.

Warning on delays for fighter jets SIMON MANN AND KIRSTY NEEDHAM
March 13, 2010
.Australia could be delivered aircraft with stripped-back war fighter capabilities, in addition to facing further cost blow-outs to the Joint Strike Fighter program, a leading analyst has said.

The price for each of the US-built new-generation fighter jets that will form the centrepiece of Australia's future air defences is nearing $122 million - more than double the 2001 estimate.


With the increased cost of the F35, the delays, and now stripped back war fighter capabilities, is it not time for Australia to be considering a Plan B, ie, other aircraft?

No. F-35 is the most capable air combat aircraft we can possibly purchase in the next 10 years.

The "stripped back combat capability" refers I'd suggest refers to the planned block upgrade for the F-35 program.

The schedule delays may mean that RAAF accepts Block II jets when Block III is the first block planned to provide all initial in-service combat capabilities.

However, given the initial RAAF jets will be used for training and development, they won't be used in combat (except perhaps in some extreme emergency) anyway.

The F-35's greatest feature (IMHO) is the planned upgrade route the aircraft has. The Block 5 and beyond variants are planned to feature rather extraordinary levels of capability IMHO, including but not limited to 6x internal air to air missile carriage and turreted DIRCM, in a fighter...

Still APA have said that there's no room for growth in the F-35 airframe, so I guess it's all pie in the sky...

 

[Marc 1]

Hi all. I was just wondering, serving in the RAAF, is it seven days a week? I am in the process of completing the first testing phase, all jobs are still open to me so far. My particular interest is in becoming either an Air combat officer or an air traffic controller. So 7 days or something different?

You are paid to be available 24/7. In reality unless on exercise or operations, you work a 40ish hour 5 days at work type of week. Of course that depends on your job and position - if you work somewhere that requires shift work such as an Air Traffic control job, then your 40 hours may be in 4 x 10 hour shifts at all hours of the day and night. It all depends on the job you do.

An example, my wife is an army nurse, early on in her career, she would work shift work, other postings have been desk jobs or training positions with more normal work hours.

 

[harryriedl]

No. F-35 is the most capable air combat aircraft we can possibly purchase in the next 10 years.

The "stripped back combat capability" refers I'd suggest refers to the planned block upgrade for the F-35 program.

The schedule delays may mean that RAAF accepts Block II jets when Block III is the first block planned to provide all initial in-service combat capabilities.

However, given the initial RAAF jets will be used for training and development, they won't be used in combat (except perhaps in some extreme emergency) anyway.

The F-35's greatest feature (IMHO) is the planned upgrade route the aircraft has. The Block 5 and beyond variants are planned to feature rather extraordinary levels of capability IMHO, including but not limited to 6x internal air to air missile carriage and turreted DIRCM, in a fighter...

Still APA have said that there's no room for growth in the F-35 airframe, so I guess it's all pie in the sky...

Stupid question how would the fantastic upgrade be worked out because some allies who use American equipment seem to have upgrade cycles rather different just thinking how the various upgrades of the F-18 and F-16 have been implemented such as a variety of blocks for the F-18 and F-16 in operation such as early model F-16 are from 5-20 . Is the F-35 upgrade process far more software based, would the differences between blocks be as significant

 

[SpudmanWP]

Aussie Digger: Even with a 24 month delay (just speculation), the F-35's for the RAAF would be Blk3. The FY2011 F-35s are the first scheduled Blk3 jets. The first RAAF F-35s will arrive in the US fro training in 2014 and the first RAAF F-35s will be operation in Australia in 2018.

harryriedl: Yes, most of the F-35's upgrades are software in nature. Weapons upgrades will mostly be covered under UAI (Universal Armament Interface). Think Plug-and-Play for weapons.

 

[rossfrb_1]

litening at for the superhornet

LITENING Targeting System Demo on US Navy F/A-18E/F | Air Force News at DefenseTalk
"
LITENING Targeting System Demo on US Navy F/A-18E/F"


So the superhornet may soon be qualified to use the targeting system that current RAAF legacy hornets are using. I believe that the RAAF F-18F order includes Raytheon's ATFLIR, as that was the only targeting pod cleared for the F-18F use at the time.
RAAF evaluated both targeting pods & selected NG's Litening AT for its legacy hornets.
I couldn't find out how many ATFLIRs had been ordered along with the F-18F order, I can't imagine that it would have been one for one.

So it begs the question whether RAAF would operate both pod types off the F-18F once legacy hornets are retired?

 

[Aussie Digger]

LITENING Targeting System Demo on US Navy F/A-18E/F | Air Force News at DefenseTalk
"
LITENING Targeting System Demo on US Navy F/A-18E/F"


So the superhornet may soon be qualified to use the targeting system that current RAAF legacy hornets are using. I believe that the RAAF F-18F order includes Raytheon's ATFLIR, as that was the only targeting pod cleared for the F-18F use at the time.
RAAF evaluated both targeting pods & selected NG's Litening AT for its legacy hornets.
I couldn't find out how many ATFLIRs had been ordered along with the F-18F order, I can't imagine that it would have been one for one.

So it begs the question whether RAAF would operate both pod types off the F-18F once legacy hornets are retired?

Unlikely, unless integration of our Litening pods was undertaken at no cost to us.

Litening AT was chosen by Defence for the legacy Hornets on the basis of cost over ATFLIR and Sniper XR. We got the most amount of targetting pods (37x Litening pods IIRC) within the available budget. We also got the only pod (at that time) integrated with the ROVER datalink system that allows the footage taken by the pod, to be sent wirelessly to a receiver on the ground. Something very useful I'm told...

Defence has subsequently ordered 18x ATFLIR pods to equip it's operational Super Hornet aircraft (the 6x used for training, development and perhaps attrition won't likely require them).

Why they would need to use Litening then, I am unsure of. Perhaps if additional Super Hornet orders eventuate, but any such event remains a while away...

 

[Wooki]

No.4 Sqn

Just for a change of pace. Does anyone know about the RAAF No.4 Squadron and whether RAAF is in process of shopping around for new aircraft to supplement or evolve the Squadron's current mission?

(and yes, I did a search and came up blank)

cheers

w

 

[Todjaeger]

Just for a change of pace. Does anyone know about the RAAF No.4 Squadron and whether RAAF is in process of shopping around for new aircraft to supplement or evolve the Squadron's current mission?

(and yes, I did a search and came up blank)

cheers

w

When I checked the RAAF site, there was no listing for No. 4 Squadron, when I went digging, I did find out that it is based at RAAF Base Amberley where it uses the PC-9/A in the strike/recon role. However, according to Wiki, No. 4 Squadron is supposed to be the training unit for Forward Air Controllers, according to the RAAF site...

There are also four modified PC-9/A(F) aircraft in grey paintwork fitted with smoke grenade dispensers for target marking. These aircraft are based at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, and are used to train ADF Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs, formerly forward air controllers), who coordinate air support to troops on the ground.

So I am left wondering, which unit are you actually asking about? The one doing forward air controller training, or the unit at Amberley that is doing something but is not mentioned?

-Cheers

 

[Aussie Digger]

Just for a change of pace. Does anyone know about the RAAF No.4 Squadron and whether RAAF is in process of shopping around for new aircraft to supplement or evolve the Squadron's current mission?

(and yes, I did a search and came up blank)

cheers

w

Hey,

4 Sqn is based at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle and are still working up (though selection 2/10 was recently cancelled...) They provide the FACDU (Forward Air Control Development Unit) role for RAAF (the smoke grenade equipped PC-9A's) but there are no plans to equip them with an "operational" combat aircraft contained within the Defence Capability Plan.

There IS a plan to replace the PC-9A however, as it is getting a bit long in the tooth. No types or numbers have been yet mentioned and it is unlikely an operational role will be envisaged given funding realities in the current term...

4 Sqn also provide RAAF's contribution to the ADF JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) capability (the positions within RAAF are known as "Special Operations Air Specialist") and are in the process of getting their guys specwarrie qualified, though some have deployed already into Afghanistan. The guys have to do SFET (Special Forces Entry Test) and a lot of the Commando courses, but they are air power delivery specialists and only tooled up, in order not to place too great a burden on our already stretched special operations forces. They are NOT trying to replicate the PJ capability etc inherent within USAF...

Hope this helps...

 

[Wooki]

Hey,

4 Sqn is based at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle and are still working up (though selection 2/10 was recently cancelled...) They provide the FACDU (Forward Air Control Development Unit) role for RAAF (the smoke grenade equipped PC-9A's) but there are no plans to equip them with an "operational" combat aircraft contained within the Defence Capability Plan.

There IS a plan to replace the PC-9A however, as it is getting a bit long in the tooth. No types or numbers have been yet mentioned and it is unlikely an operational role will be envisaged given funding realities in the current term...

4 Sqn also provide RAAF's contribution to the ADF JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) capability (the positions within RAAF are known as "Special Operations Air Specialist") and are in the process of getting their guys specwarrie qualified, though some have deployed already into Afghanistan. The guys have to do SFET (Special Forces Entry Test) and a lot of the Commando courses, but they are air power delivery specialists and only tooled up, in order not to place too great a burden on our already stretched special operations forces. They are NOT trying to replicate the PJ capability etc inherent within USAF...

Hope this helps...

Ahh. So that is where the new AC(x) guys are hoping to find a potential future customer. At the moment with the cost-cutting drums beating, everyone is scrambling to shore up their business case for new platforms. I like it; "If they train for it, we can follow". Thanks Digg.

cheers

w

 

[Gibbo]

Ooh, can we keep one?

Australia's new jet fighters parked in Auckland | Stuff.co.nz

Anyway - why overnight at civvy airport - either Ohakea or Whenuapai could accomodate them!?!