Aircraft carriers for Australia ?!?!

Sister magazine Air International is presenting in August
2000 issue’s “AirScene” that the Royal Autralian Navy release preliminary plans for the acquisition of three Littoral Support Ships ( LSS ) to enter service in the 2010-2020 timeframe.

These LSS could each carry up to 20 FA-18 Hornet ! ? ! ? ( in 2010 ? ) and an AEW & C on a modern plaltform ( MV-22 Osprey ? ).

Ski Jump/Cables and Catapult/Cables types of operations are both under study.

If this has any chance to materialize, the choice for the next combat aircraft for Australia will certainly be influenced
by it :

1.
Australia probably not have the luxury to choose two different airframes for RAAF and RAN operations.

2.
2010-2020 timeframe for the 3 x LSS correspond to the timing for the actual RAAF F-18 fleet replacement.

3.
Future air operations for these LSS could very well be in some Joint Force 2010 RAAF/RAN fashion, with RAAF crews operating the new combat aircraft on the LSS’s.

4.
RAAF officials already seems to prefer the Eurofighter Typhoon as F-18 replacement, but the cost for a naval version of the Typhoon could be very high if the catapult/cables option is chosen.

Knowing that, and assuming that the 3 x LSS will be a reality, what could be the next Australian combat aircraft ?

The Typhoon ?
The Rafale Marine ?
The F-18E/F Hornet ?
The Naval JSF ?

Guy LeVasseur
Pointe au Père,
Québec, Canada