Sorry should have explained myself better,
AAR is only required when the F35B is on long ferry flights or long combat missions, but Super Hornet would more than likely fill that role.
Looking at the flexibility what the F35B can bring to the table in regards to the RAAF,f35B could be operated from remote secure locations such as roadways or large truck parking areas with access for road tanker’s for POL needs and munitions’ or brought forward by Chinook helicopters with bladders for fuel and other supplies . i believe in the future the RAAF will not always have the luxury of operating from fixed airfields with out compromising its ability to bring all its assets to bear in an effective solution.
This is from a paper study on the CV-22 osprey impact on special operations doctrine; it has a section on early harrier conops
THE SPECIAL OSPREY:
Quote taken from study,
The ability to operate from remote, austere, and temporary locations allows for a significant increase in mission flexibility. Both the Osprey and the Harrier have unique capabilities in this regard. One significant difference is that the Harrier takes advantage of this ability primarily at takeoff from its base, whereas the Osprey will primarily take advantage of it at the target. The ability of the Harrier to hover allows it to be based and operated from ships or remote areas, whereas the ability of the Osprey to hover allows it to land and insert or extract forces or equipment from remote sites at or near the target. Regardless, the increase in capability may allow for new and more effective ways to accomplish certain missions, and may allow for the accomplishment of new missions.
The Harrier fit this doctrine very well. The RAF planned to use the Harrier from roads and fields within ten or twenty miles of the front. Throughout the later Cold War years, two of the three operational Harrier units were based in Germany. The infrastructure required during combat consisted of only fuel trucks, ammunition, and a small maintenance capability at the forward loiter area. The advantage of the Harrier was that it could sit on the ground and loiter indefinitely until it was needed, and then start engines and respond in a matter of minutes to the ground forces in trouble. There were trade-offs to for these advantage such as sucurityat dispersed locations and the need for more support equipment and personnel. However, the RAF never attempted to expand the Harrier role because it fit so well into their existing doctrine. The Harrier was only a small part of RAF airpower, but it filled a unique and specialized role in their doctrine.
Flexibility is the key with the purchase of a limited number of F35B, with the rising uncertainty of when and how much F35A will be, as Aussie Digger points out the cost of Super Hornet to the likely cost of F35A will be the margin between the two, would having a mixed fleet of Super’s and F35B bring more flexibility to the RAAF than a complete one horse stable of F35A.
