That was going to replace the Cheetah, it was going to be a good plane but things changed in SA and F.W.DeClerk ended Apartheid and life returned to that country.

Allow me to point out one major thing first.

Australia does not want to become and intergrated part of ANY defence network, let alone the US defence network. What we are striving for is interoperatability, the main difference is the with intergrated- they call the shots, with Interoperable- we have a choice.

We have our own adgenda on what we wish to accomplish not only in our region, but in the world, thus interoperatability is more of a key factor because it means that we can work with any system and not just one (the US system which intergrated means).

The SH will never be bought by the RAAF, they haven’t been fully happy with the Hornets they have. Besides when we buy new equipment, we want them on the cutting edge of technology the SH is not on the cutting edge so it’s not even in the running.

Glen: UCAV is coming on at a cracking pace, Both the X-45 and X-47 are good examples of this and one would venture a thought that these maybe what the RAAF are looking at and hopping for.

Hahahaha not likely mate, I think the Brits want to use them as an MR plane, ASW/ASuW/Tanker/Bomber, even a COD like the US-3.

They still have good systems on them and as such are still quite usefull.

Srbin:

1. The F/A-18A’s and B’s are being made to last that long, the are currently undergoing a huge update (phase 4 of the HUG which will include a bomb carrying update to allow the latest bombs to be carried JSTOW, JDAMS, and the likes). The first hornet is to retire around 2012 at current plans, the First Pig is to leave service in 2006 with the final F-111’s leaving service in 2010 at the latest with current plans. Currently the Air Force addmits that there maybe a capability gaps.

2. Well now that is the question! As it stands the F-35 actually is holding nothing but Stealth over it’s competitors, infact it’s the only thing it has. The F-35 is currently not even being offered with the full specs of what it was promised, it has lost it’s maritime strike ability and this has caused our service to rethink it’s plans. A nation dependant on its SLOC’s, does require a MS a/c if only to act as a deterant.

3. Money isn’t the problem, we’ve been planing this since the first Hornet came into service (the way it works down here is that we start siding money for the purchase of the replacement after the first plane enters service. Besides, with ties between the Us and Oz at an altime high, I don’t think that there’d be any trouble buying things on a deal favourable to our pockets. Sadly not all things are planed for, the MRTT was a shock to the government and A/F alike, but those things have been going for years so the speed in which we are replacing them is evident as to the shock. But the capability gaps are evident right through our three services (Army have needed new tanks for over 15years now and are only just getting them- before they arrive our Leopards aren’t capable of night ops), the Navy doesn’t have AAW Destroyers after the three DDG’s (Which I had served on) were all retired before a replacement was bought and has still not been bought!The Army has also need of a light plane for it’s use after the PC-6’s were retired back in 92, the government has decided that since the army has gone this long without them, they don’t need them- so the army has decided to find it’s own solution and the Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 is about to be announced for service in the AAAC.

Mate there’s a lot of talk about saying that some of the S-3’s are to be sold to other countries (UK and South America spring to mind) maybe this is part of that!

Hey Glen, good to see you back here!

Mate the latest official stuff that I’ve been readin is that the RAAF are now only going to buy 57 F-35’s as these planes are not delivering on promised goals, thus the government have started cutting back on the order (Read that in Asia Pacific Aerospace). The growing idea is for the RAAF to look into buying FB-22’s should they become a reality, if this doesn’t happen then the contest will be opened up to procure a deep ranged strike a/c.

Yes our government is advancing in it’s outlook of common threats in the region and yes the A/F is trying to keep up with current technology, the RAAF does feel that UCAV’s are a way to go buy is waiting for the right kind of system to come into existance before commiting to an order.

There is much talk about the Global Hawk being fitter with Harpoons for a maritime strike role, if this happens then the initial six that we are going to buy in FY06 will be just the first. These will also help in replacing the AP-3C’s which are due to retire around 2012 current estimates. There is, however, acknowledgment in having a maned MR/MS/ASuW/ASW/SAR platform thus not all the AP-3C will be replaced by UAV’s. At least 6 maned platforms will still be bought as a partial replacement for the Orions.

As for Dr Kropp, he seriously needs to get his head out of the books which don’t really tell him anything but figures, and travel to see what life is like, for if he does this then he’ll see that the TNI-AU and the TDUM really have no intention of traveling all this way to pick a fight and loose some planes which they actually can’t really afford in the first place (these things are expencive- if you loose one you might be able to replace it, but loose a squadron in battle then try and figure out where to get the money to buy a new squadron- it’s the same the world over).

PII: I hear you on FM with that call about the raptor, with the cutting of the commanche the senate has asked defence to do a report on why funding should be kept flowing for other expencive projects and the first one on the list was the F/A-22. I heard that this is why the added the A=Attack role to the machine, so that they could keep it!