I had heard about this as well, and it should be known that when I was at the RAAF base yesterday, not a lot of RAAF personel are in favour of the F-35 or “Wonder Bug” as they are calling it (when questiones over this reference I was told that they call it the wonder bug because they wonder what bug is going to bring it down based on it’s computer software)! Guess we finally found a name for it guys!

It has been very quietly passed over that the USAF is now looking at the FB-22 as a repalcement for the F-15E/F’s some time down the track. Australia might also be in on that project and if we have F-22’s then why a team.

Australia might go for some VSTOL Wonder bugs but the whole F-35 deal is really looking shaky now, I can’t wait for Labor to get in because they are promising a complete review of Defence including some of the thing we are currently involved with and some that we plan on getting.

You guys have got it all wrong, there is only one way to bring down a Stealth bomber! Gather members of this board together and have them in the cockpit all debating the pros and cons of the plane, the pilot will be bored to death and it will crash 😛

Ok I’ll bite despite my reservations here (I don’t want to get this section shut down again)

what is the future of MW?

The Future is bright despite what you might think, MW is still the most effective way of blockading a harbour or SLOC as we found out in 2003 when the RN and RAn were called in to remove Mines placed by the Iraqi’s to stop ships entering port.

which regions of the world are likely to see high intensity MW operations

It’s obvious that those nations which relly on sea trade for survival will see the greater side of MW operations. Australia has one of the most modern fleets of MHC’s and we regularly deploy them on excersises to keep their skills up. Apart from our Hydrographic ships, our MW craft spend the most time at sea, even more than our patrol boats. Due to manning shortages, we have had to lay the first two up in a ready reserve state. This means that they have a minimum manning crew but do not leave the dock. I am for leasing these two out to New Zealand or Fiji or even PNG who also have a need for this type of capability.

which campaigns do you like the most from the past

For me, the actions in Sydney harbour are close to me, my grandfather was here on deployment at the time. We had two lanes one in and one out, plus Boom nets and mines everywhere and yet the Japanese mini subs still got in, sure they didn’t get out, but they got in and that’s what counts!

which countries are likely to use this weapon to their advantage

As I said before, those who depend on SLOC’s for survival, Iraq did in 03 and it took months to clear up all the mines encountered. Indonesia would be one of the first countries I’d say would use them should anything happen, same with Taiwan.

are the good old minelayers surface ships obsolete? their role taken over by subs and aircraft?

Not entirely, most mine warfare ships these days can not only kill them but lay them as well, the most noteable design here is the Danish Stanflex 300 design. But I have seen tankers converted in to Covert mine layers with dozens, if not hundreds of mines ready to splash out and that’s the real reason why each ship is boarded in the gulf, you just never know which ships is carrying mines!

If war had broken out between WP and NATO in the baltic what role MW would have played?

Well if it had of come down to it, the entire Baltic would have been blocked off, The Aluetians would have been hard fought for and Japan might have been Russian, IMHO.

can it be a important factor in any future confrontation between North and south korea

Absolutly, though not so much on the deep water side, more likeinshore mines and stuff to prevent landings, just like Normandie in WWII.

Here’s something interesting, I had heard about this but untill now never seen it, a rocket pod attachet to the outer wing pylon of an RAAF Canberra Bomber in Vietnam.

The plane (A84-232) was being used as a trial for the system. Well why not, have you seen how manouverable those planes are?

What amazes me is that it broke in three pieces, and have you seen the pics? Where is the tail? The fact that it didn’t go up sugests that there was no power and that the pilot killed all electrical before impact.

There has been a lot of soul searching over the future of MPA’s and what role long range UAV’s can play. The blue water ASW role has been decreasing in importance, switching instead to the littorals which can been handled by helo’s and smaller MPA’s. Hence the reluctance to invest in a platforms designed for the role of the Atlantics/Nimrods/Orions/May’s etc.

Ah yes Dan my friend but the important of Blue Water MPA as an observer platform to watch shipping is increasing thus we have more countries jumping on the Orion band wagon these days.

As for the west, you can be sure the EADS has something up it’s sleve, I don’t know who has an eye on the Atlantic 3’s, but many seem to be interested in the P-8 though don’t want to partake in a JSF style development fiasco. Australia is looking at what will replace the AP-3C’s in our service but todate have only a partial solution in the RQ-4 Globla Hawk. The only other contender with plans is Embraer with their P-99MPA’s though there are wispers around about an EMB-190 MPA platform (basicly a mini P-8 with the same range but half the weapons).

I haven’t heard much coming from Russia though the A-40 and A-42 programs are talked about alot and seem to be the better choice and have been displayed to other interested parties.

China is looking at long range MPA’s and Japan’s P-X is still a few years off.