SilviaS15The “We ran them out of gas” quote came from an article published in FLIGHT JOURNAL, for those that haven’t read it here it is – Battle of the SuperFighters. While the comment in question can understandably seen as a flippant comment by an individual pilot the overall conclusions drawn by the article cannot be so easily dismissed, namely the serious lack of range as well as overall flight performance of the Rhino as compared to the aircraft it is meant to replace.
SilviaS15Well considering there’s a Federal Election in Australia later this year there’s every chance the deal will be torpedoed in the event that there is a change of Government. Failing that then the RAAF should start saving its pennies for even more tankers, about twenty would be a good start.
SilviaS15No doubt when Dr Brenden Nelson and senior RAAF Officers get wind of these comments the offending pilot will in all likelihood find out that his next posting will be somewhere in Antarctica. Can’t have RAAF pilots talking up the Raptor, its bordering on insubordination. 😉
SilviaS15OK, so now I’m confused. According to the report the Government will purchase the Super Bugs as well as upgrade the Pigs. I’d assumed from previous media reports that the Government were hell bent on getting rid of the Pig in order sacrifice any long range strike capability. If the Pigs are to be kept (three cheers for common sense) then what squadrons will convert to the Super Bug. While the report doesn’t specify this is the RAAF going to retire two squadrons of legacy Hornets and have those squadrons convert to the Super Bug?
SilviaS15Is it just me, or is this whole saga taking on the appearance of some sort of cross between episodes of Yes Minister and Faulty Towers? :rolleyes:
SilviaS15Yeah agreed this is a fairly blatant and somewhat clumsy attempt to head off any debate on the subject, its not turning out to be a good week for the Government.
SilviaS15If the Rhino purchase does go ahead these aircraft will presumably be used by 1sqn & 6sqn. If this is indeed the case then as I see it this does not in any way alleviate the growing problem of the RAAF’s existing F-18’s burning out their airframes. If anything it will merely compound the issue. If the Rhino replaces the Pig at roughly a one for one ratio then the RAAF will immediately lose approx 50% of its strike capability. In order to plug the gap more of the existing Hornets would be required in the strike role, compounded with their already existing roles then the Hornets will be burning out airframes at an even faster rate. Its already acknowledged that in order to fly the Hornets post 2010 then they will require centre barrel replacements. The Government and the RAAF have been very coy on precisely just how many Hornets will have to undergo centre barrel replacements. In short I just can’t understand the maths the Government is using in order to make this decision, if indeed it actually goes ahead.
SilviaS15Well the F-111 deterrent hasn’t stopped hordes of Kiwis to say nothing of pasty faced Poms from invading our fair land every summer. 😉
SilviaS15On a side note… one thing that confuses me and maybe some of you that know better can help. Recently Aussie F-18s were qualified with JDAM. Now… if the F-111 is the big stick for long range strike…. why was the best long range striker not set up with the best ALL WEATHER weapon for taking out fixed targets? Good grief.
Sadly the answer is quite simple, politics. I’m sorry if that sounds like a flippant remark its not meant to be but political maneuvering both from within the Government as well as from within the RAAF senior command is what is the root cause of all this mess. Simply put there is a school of thought within both concerned parties that a strategic strike capability is not needed and a small airforce based around the F-35 is what is in Australia’s best interests. This would allow the Government to play a second tier support role in any of Uncle Sam’s adventures without having to do any of the heavy hitting that would traditionally be entrusted to an aircraft like the F-111. In short the F-111’s role as a long range strike aircraft that would be used to kill high value targets is seen as a political liability. The decision not to clear the JDAM on the F-111 is the first step in eroding the aircraft’s perceived ability. Ironically an integral part of the digital avionics upgrade that is now complete on the F-111 that was started back in the 90’s was to ensure that the Pig was able to deliver all the latest “J’ series munitions.
SilviaS15So the Tu-22M series aircraft and Tu-160 series aircraft are unable to release weapons from their bomb bays at supersonic speeds?
Funny how Sukhoi designed the T-4 bomber that had internally mounted weapons yet, according to you I guess would have had to slow down over the target to release its weapons too…
Sorry my bad, I should have clarified my statement by saying that the United States at the time were not operating any aircraft with said characteristics. Its a moot point anyway, for obvious reasons. Same goes for Australia buying Russian, perish the thought. 😉
SilviaS15:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
The F-111 was used for testing the new small diameter bomb (SDB) as it’s capable of releasing munitions from its bomb bay through its entire flight envelope from subsonic to transonic through to supersonic speeds. While the Bone is capable of supersonic speeds it can’t open its bomb bay doors and release weapons cleanly at supersonic speeds.
SilviaS15I loved the statement that “the US Generals are wrong about the F-22″… and bluntly saying that the USAF is lying about it in order to get more of them.
OK, I guess that the RAAF knows more about the Raptor than the USAF, and that the USAF is hiding the flaws in a substandard aircraft in order to get more of that substandard aircraft? :rolleyes:
Just illustrates the degree to which politics plays a part in the defense bureaucracy. Couple of years ago when Air Marshal Angus Houston was still head of the Air Force he was questioned by the media as to why the RAAF was not considering the Raptor. He was quoted at the time as saying that the Raptor was purely an Air Superiority platform with no air to ground capability. Not long after a Raptor conducted the first successful supersonic drop of a GBU-31 JDAM over the China Lake facility. The irony is the RAAF had loaned an F-111G to the Americans so they could conduct in flight testing on the internal bomb bay. Until the Raptor became operational the F-111 was the only aircraft that could deliver munitions from an internal bomb bay at supersonic speeds. When it comes to the F-22A and the F-111 you can usually expect a litany of lies and half truths from the government in order to deflect criticism over the JSF program.
SilviaS15Couldn’t the F-111’s be rebuilt? The USAF has rebuilt the B-52 fleet several times now.
That was one of the points of article posted. The Government in its infinate wisdom has apparantly earmarked 3 billion dollars to buy an interim aircraft (SuperBug) which doesn’t provide the RAAF with an aquequate performance package to replace the F-111. Conversly you could spend a fraction of that 3 billion on upgrading the F-111. Ironically this is what the RAAF originally intended before it felt it needed to lock itself into the JSF project. With the JSF now running way over budget and behind schedule the RAAF and the Government are now panicking (there is no other word for it) and are now digging themselves into an even deeper whole by wasting money on an interim fighter.
SilviaS15Correct me if I’m wrong but this is the first time that the government has admitted albeit indirectly through a source that the F-35 may well be delayed as late as 2018. If that is indeed the case then somebody in Canberra had better bite the bullet and pull the plug on the project. If it is going to be that late then to my mind the Government should start lobbying the US Gov to allow foreign sales of the Raptor. The Raptor is operational now and whatever advanced sensor suites that the F-35 is likely to have will, in all likelihood be incorporated into late build F-22A’s as part of ongoing incremental upgrade programs.
Australia would be better served with a small number of F-22A’s providing air superiority allowing F-111’s to carry out the heavy bomb trucking duties. Australia’s needs are different to many of the other JSF partners (including the UK) in that Australia is a huge country that is on the front line of a region that in the next twenty years is likely to become increasingly unstable. Coupled with the largest regional arms race since the end of the Cold War, Australia cannot afford to make yet another Defense procurement bungle which it seems hellbent on doing with the JSF. An F-22A/F-111 combined strike package offers the best solution to Australia. With the escalating costs of the F-35, the argument that the Raptor is just to expensive seems less and less valid as each day goes by. The only real obstacle is the political will to lobby the US Government to agree to foreign sales of the Raptor.
Ironically the first Red Flag kicks off this month at Nellis. For the first time the F-22A will be participating (God help the Aggressors). As usual the the RAAF will be taking part, Nellis is virtually a home away from home for the F-111’s. Hopefully those in Canberra with the power to make a difference will be paying close attention to what the Raptors can do.
Watch this space…
SilviaS15The plot thickens…
I’m dreaming of F110 engines, glass cockpits and a new radar, can’t keep a good pig down. 😀
Seriously though its a worry to hear that the Defense Minister if the report is to be believed has not even read any of the submissions with regards to the JSF/Interim SuperBug/Extended F-111 saga. Its only the single most important Defense program on the table at the moment, you would think that the Minister and his little trained minions would insure that both sides of the argument have been properly investigated.
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