Because we flew mostly defensive and offensive counter air and escort missions, at which the F-111 wouldn't have been much chop...
Strike was a long way down the list of priorities for that mission.
Royal Australian Air Force [RAAF] News, Discussions and Updates
Strike was a long way down the list of priorities for that mission.
OpinionNoted
Banned Member
Para 3
New Member
An Act of War
A fair read, although dated
AN ACT OF WAR
244 Pages.
Michael O'Connor
The South African government has collapsed. India begins a campaign against our ownership of the strategic Cocos Islands. Then, on Christmas Eve, in perfect weather, an Australian iron ore carrier vanishes with all hands off the north-west coast.
Shortly after, India invades the Cocos Islands.
Can be found online.
A fair read, although dated
AN ACT OF WAR
244 Pages.
Michael O'Connor
The South African government has collapsed. India begins a campaign against our ownership of the strategic Cocos Islands. Then, on Christmas Eve, in perfect weather, an Australian iron ore carrier vanishes with all hands off the north-west coast.
Shortly after, India invades the Cocos Islands.
Can be found online.
I would have read that book 20 years ago and I’m still recovering from its depiction of an Anzac class frigate duking it out in a gun battle with an Indian PT-76 tank ashore. But in its defence it’s still a whole significant degree better than that ‘Weapon of Choice’ nonsense with MetalStorm battleships and Prince Harry riding around in a cliché class submarine.
I personally can’t read this Vostok crapola and Matthew Reilly stuff because I have a high suspension of disbelief level and it’s about as factual a depiction of warfare as McLeod’s Daughters was of farming. But if you enjoy it good for you. Writing is all about making people happy and getting their brain ticking over and these ‘military’ thriller writers have strong audiences and pay their way rather than all the publically funded and seriously under-read Troughers masquerading as writers these days.
If anyone is interested in a serious level of modern military thrillers I can recommend Ralph Peters (army) and David Poyer (navy). Dale Brown is the best air force thriller writer even though his stories are childish but at least he knows what he is writing about when it comes to being in the air. Strange that there aren’t more aircrew fiction writers considering their infamous ability to self-promote and brag. But I guess they are all writing ‘non’ fiction.
Now that I recall the description of strike missions by the pilot that I read, were when he was attached to a USAF unit , F15's I think.
on this weeks ABC's Foreign Correspondent
Revealed: US flew spy drone missions from Australia - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Revealed: US flew spy drone missions from Australia
The United States flew highly classified Global Hawk spy drone missions from the Royal Australian Air Force base at Edinburgh in South Australia from late 2001 until at least 2006.
It's a stretch to call it secret. Edinburgh is in the middle of suburbia that abuts the runways, it's obvious what lands there
Revealed: US flew spy drone missions from Australia - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Revealed: US flew spy drone missions from Australia
The United States flew highly classified Global Hawk spy drone missions from the Royal Australian Air Force base at Edinburgh in South Australia from late 2001 until at least 2006.
It's a stretch to call it secret. Edinburgh is in the middle of suburbia that abuts the runways, it's obvious what lands there
If Clive Palmer is on that carrier I'm voting for the terrorists....
especially when the US even declared what some of the tests were - ie long distant comms testing between PACOM, Aust and Germany (the other place where they were also doing "secret" testing - and also flying out of highly populated areas where every man and his dog could take happy snaps from the perimeters)
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Tee_Centre_10
Member
If you are going to fly "super secret spy flights" why not RAAF Tindal? Isolated yet has plenty of support available and the RAAF can control the environment a bit easier. If you are willing to rough it a bit and fly in more support equipment, then any of the bare bases would do, although RAAF Learmonth is a bit more agreeable.
Having said that, the USAF operated U-2's out of RAAF Williams at Laverton in the 1960s.
Although it is perfectly plausible that the USAF is flying Global Hawk missions from/through Australia, given the use of RAAF Edinburgh a simpler explanation is that the flights were related to the development of the USN BAMS version. Wasn't there talk of Australia having some level of input during the BAMS definition stage?
It shouldn't come at too much of a shock that Global Hawks fly into Australia occasionally given the US would probably like to sell some to the RAAF for Air 7000 Ph1B.
Two points:Linked Article said:
- I wouldn't like to send my $100m un-stealthy drone that has no EW defences/counter-measures into any "denied territory" containing defending SU-30s or S-300 SAM systems.
- How deniable is it if the US is the only Global Hawk user? They can't exactly claim that it belonged to Orangeland. Although the world might believe a "Chinese knockoff" story if it is accompanied with pictures of the Soar Eagle!
All up that is quite a dodgy Foreign Correspondent story, with many illogical, implausible and irrelevant points.
What about iceberg?If Clive Palmer is on that carrier I'm voting for the terrorists....
Titanic 2 | Clive Palmer | What Titanic II is up against
Well these are valid points but the problem is the original statement in the article was wrong! The Global Hawk wasn’t designed as a ‘deniable overflight’ reconnaissance capability. Thatcapability was called Tier III (-) and the UAV designed and built for it was the Lockheed Martin RQ-3 Dark Star. The Northrop Grymman RQ-4 Global Hawk was designed for Tier II (+) for the long endurance, high altitude *stand off* reconnaissance capability.
At least they got the various weapon system names correct.
Tee_Centre_10
Member
That's true, they have broken the long standing media tradition of describing everything military as a "battleship".
meatshield
Active Member
Read this today. RAAF may have been kicking the tyres and checking them out in SA.
Australia moves to buy $3b spy drone fleet - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Australia moves to buy $3b spy drone fleet - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Honestly hopefully not. If you want a long range maritime surveillance aicraft than just get a manned aircraft. They aren't as sexy and cool as UAVs but they tend to crash less. And having human beings on board does help.
If its going into hostile space than get something cheaper and armed. A combined order for Mariner/Reaper (or an Israelie equivilent) is where the RAAF should be looking.
If its going into hostile space than get something cheaper and armed. A combined order for Mariner/Reaper (or an Israelie equivilent) is where the RAAF should be looking.
Well between you Goknub, Hairyman and the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent program it’s pretty clear none of you have the remotest idea of what you are talking about.
Not true. USAF decided to end Block 30 acquisition and instead buy more Block 40s.
Also not true. The Predator B family is only cheaper per aircraft than the Global Hawk because they are smaller aircraft (weight = $$$). It’s as cheap and cheerful compared to a GH as a BMW M3 is to an X5. Since you need more Predator Bs to cover the same airspace as the GH it kind of balances out.
The free PDF available at the link below, explains why ADF is considering GH rather than Mariner / Predator or some other variant of that family. Do remember that unlike many of our acquisitions, they actually trialled these two capabilities, some years ago...
ADF Employment of the Global Hawk Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
the road runner
Active Member
Is the German Euro hawk the same as a Global hawk Triton?
I assume the German AF thinks this UAV is the right UAV to patrol the Atlantic as they have purchased 5 units a few years ago.
Makes you wonder how good a piece of kit this is ,as Germany is a very advanced nation when it comes to defence matters.If its good enough to patrol the Atlantic i would assume it will be the right UAV to patrol the Pacific/Indian oceans.
I assume the German AF thinks this UAV is the right UAV to patrol the Atlantic as they have purchased 5 units a few years ago.
Makes you wonder how good a piece of kit this is ,as Germany is a very advanced nation when it comes to defence matters.If its good enough to patrol the Atlantic i would assume it will be the right UAV to patrol the Pacific/Indian oceans.