Don't know but it was more than 10 methinks. If you have look back through thread I am sure that it will have been mentioned.
Royal Australian Air Force [RAAF] News, Discussions and Updates
14 at one stage before they were cannibalised to keep the others going.
10 C-27's would be equivalent to around 20 (perhaps more) caribou in terms of availability and capacity.
Over this side of the ditch we have been waiting for your govt to make a decision before our lot would make one about the Andover replacement. They are keen on interoperability and commonality but price will be the major factor. Your govts request is only for info and remember the competition they had what 10 years ago or so, then suddenly cancelled it. So we wait and see, but I wouldn't be surprised if it went from info to actual purchase quickly, because the 6th C17 basically buy came out of thin air. The Aussie govt appears to be trying to get on the top of its air transport issues. Hopefully our lot will take the hint and start doing the same. Mind you dreams are free.
StevoJH
The Bunker Group
Why are they asking the US Government? Isnt it an Italian aircraft with some US content?
The C-27J Spartan was developed from the previous G.222, which was co-produced by three Italian companies - Aeritalia, Alenia Aeronautica and Fiat Aviazione. This military cargo aircraft was widely used by Italian Air Force and recommended itself well. In 1995 Lockheed Martin and Alenia Aeronautica signed an agreement to develop an improved version of the G.222, as improvements were necessary to meet modern requirements. The main changes were made to engines and electronic systems, sourced from the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules.
See:
C-27J Spartan Tactical Transport Aircraft | Military-Today.com
APDR explains the FMS route this way:
Even a sole-source acquisition strategy for the C-27J would not be without complications because choices still need to be made. One option would be for a simple direct purchase from the aircraft’s manufacturer Alenia. However, the currently fashionable bureaucratically indolent - and much costlier - trend is to buy everything possible from the US Foreign Military Sales system. This would require the aircraft to be built by Alenia in Italy, then transferred to their mandatory US partner L-3, who might or might not add something to it, and who would pass the aircraft to the US Air Force which finally – via FMS – would deliver the aircraft to the RAAF.
http://www.asiapacificdefencereport...-Battlefield-airlifter-the-missing-ingredient
Off Topic but Aljazeera is report the Libyan NTC saying as Ghaddaffi has been captured. in or around Sirte which has fallen. He is apparently wounded in both legs. His capture has been reported on BBC as well in last 15 minutes. These reports are unconfirmed.
we're about to buy some new aircraft (not these under discussion), our fleet buy is nowhere near representative of the sustainment and ongoing R&D "buy in" (we put a R&D deposit in) that is being contributed.
eg we're putting approx 1.5% of total ongoing development and we'll end up with less than 6% of the total aircraft fleet build (ie including USN assets)
the USN/G/agencies do/does Aust a lot of favours which never get identified
If the RAAF just wanted an airframe they would have brought C-295s years ago. But the need for a survivable intra-theatre airlifter means the “US content” (which is black box stuff) is the most important element. It’s the capabilities in electronic warfare self protection and networking that are the really important thing here. This is no longer a fly garbage truck mission with the worse case threat being a Dshka gun or two.
In a very simplistic and petulant way that totally misses the point. FMS may look like a costly and indolent way – especially to all those vendors and business development middle men in Canberra who miss out on a slice of the pie – but it is actually low cost and achieves a core outcome. Its low cost because you buy at US scale rates with only a 4% loading for US admin costs and the core outcome is standardisation with the US support chain. You don’t get that buying the very different product offered by Alenia.
16 Super Hornets looks awesome.
Any pix Abe?
John Newman
The Bunker Group
Actually there were 20 in the picture/video i've seen. (maybe 21 according to the Defence Dept web site!)
See the Courier mail link below:
City stops to watch Hornets fly past | Courier Mail
Pitty they didn't arrive till Sunday (or had the group fly past) when the Gold Coast V8 supercars event is on, would have looked spectacular flying along side the Gold Coast beach next to the track!
It always looked good when the F-111's did their fly pasts, low and fast! Now its up to the Super Hornets to provide the aerial action!
Not great quality, I only had my iPhone on me this morning, but here's the formation flying over Kangaroo Point, Brisbane this morning.
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMNR6Zz9RHQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]Super Hornets flying over Brisbane - YouTube[/nomedia]
Love the comment, "Heah look at that."
Good video mate, far better than the Courier Mail one.
Thanks for the video and the link AD.
Defence was right - there were 21.
See image 20111021raaf8540677_0023.jpg This file is available for immediate download.
from the link.
Cheers
Yep there was a Hawk Mk 127 escorting them part of the way.
P8's ?