Interesting news from Australia on the F-35 program as it appears they will review the program next year to decide what future it will have within the RAAF !

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/awx/2011/08/17/awx_08_17_2011_p0-360454.xml&headline=Australia to Decide JSF Future in 2012

I suspect it will largely be focussed on mitigating the risk of further delays in the F-35’s development and entry into service schedule, aside from being a political opportunity for the government to assure the public that they do take defence seriously.

Another 12 F-18Fs, either purchased or leased perhaps?

is that because you think the ASRAAM is inferior the the aim9x or because its a given that US weapons are integrated?

The RAAF needs a missile that will be kept up to date through block updates, and be effectively and quickly integrated with the F-35 as that aircraft enters service and undergoes what could then be a fairly rapid upgrade cycle. In that context the ASRAAM, being used only by the RAF (Eurofighter + 60 JSF?) and RAAF (100JSF), is probably the high risk/cost/effort option. To offset that, ASRAAM would need to be a more capable missile, not just one that offers a different approach.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the AIM-9X buy for the F-18F is the first of several RAAF purchases.

The spelling is correct for the Queen’s Englishmen.

So it’s spelt “Typoon” in the UK? Guess you learn something new every day…. 😉

No, I get the point.

This is essentially the deal the RAAF took with the SH BII, they didn’t integrate ASRAAM they just bought AIM-9x off the shelf, they didn’t integrate Lightning they just bought ATFLIR off the shelf, they don’t intend to integrate JASSM they just bought JSOW off the shelf. That means the only weapons which can be interchanged between platforms are AIM-120C, Harpoon, JDAMS/Paveways (which are essentially kits) and irons.

Why can’t AIM 9-X be used on a HUGed Hornet – aren’t the USN using it with C/Ds? And don’t the USN use JSOW and ATFLIR on F-18C/Ds, which in terms of avionics are pretty similar to the RAAF’s updated A/Bs.

I’m glad to see someone mentioned & posted up a pic of the Canadian Avro Arrow . I believe pressure from the USA brought about its demise . They needed Can. to buy US products & to protect their own aircraft industries . They didnt want competition too close to home !!

Like the TSR 2 , it could have been a world beater!!

Perhaps, but in an era when the soviet bomber threat to North America was fading away, and ICBMs became the real issue, did an interceptor like the Arrow really make much sense? In that environment, perhaps aircraft like the CF-101 Voodoo and F-104 really were more useful.

…Except for the US taxpayers who have to foot the bill!

What I was getting at was that to understand the “cost” of an F-35, you really need to take a few steps back and look at what was or wasn’t included in any particular number, and what and how development and production infrastructure costs (the really large $) were allocated to particular production lots.

IMO development and production costs are really best looked at in terms of the total F-35 buy, and not in terms of how much was allocated to specific batches.

I’m a little bit of a novice when it comes to aircaft so dont shoot me down in flames:)
Did The USAF retire its F-111’s early? I was under the impression that in the early 1990’s that the F-111’s were to carry on well into the 21st century, E/F/G models, EF, not sure. Was it due to them been expensive to operate and their complexity? Did they reach the end of their usefull lifes anyway?

Many thanks

It might have been a number of factors. The F-111 was an expensive to operate, dedicated intermediate range striker that was perhaps left looking like an unnecessary luxury after the fall of the Soviet Union / Warsaw Pact, and the end of Regan era defence budgets.