RAAF have been using the twin AMRAAM launchers on it’s Hornets since at least 2002…

http://media.photobucket.com/image/RAAF%20operation%20falconer/shadow7577/hornet_DCA.jpg

You mean like this?

Several years old this picture… circa 2004

Isnt there a thread already running on this?!?!?!

A thread about wastege was started last week….

Realistic ideas?
Maybe training people properly on how to handle money, contracts and then holding them actually accountable for any wastage!!

That will never happen sadly.. until you been in the Military and seen how badly it works (glorified public service) then youll understand the hows and whys.

Then there is the problem with contractors who offer an expensive product or service that usally ends up costing 5 times the orginal price, as ripping off the government is considered everyones “right” !

After 3 pages im surprised that no here has made references to the Dale Brown novels..????

Oddly enough his flying “fortress” ideas appeared in his books some 15yrs ago?

Mack8 im loving those pictures on that thread!
Thanks for sharing….

Amazing how many different weapons etc have been attached to a such a small fighter.
And it is my favourite cold war warrior….

Al – “I cannot argue with any of those points. Smart procurement has been anything but. “

But why? It seems to have been going on for decades and is endemic to the culture. Does it stem for the wartime explosion of the need for military hardware which was signed off willy-nilly? Or are there other, more sinister reasons? Or just plain incompetence?

why? all of the above…
There is an ingrained “stupidity” in defence procurements all over the world.
Its not limited to the UK.
Australia is wasting billions on projects which go no where at all.

And you want to know why?
The three biggest reasons are:

1) Lack of ACCOUNTABILTY! NO ONE EVER GOES TO JAIL or losses their job when some poor decisions are made….

2)Its not MY MONEY.. Hence they dont care, see point one..

3)Too many people who make these decisions are public servants and have no clue how to run things at all.. (or are officers with no idea about commercial realities!)

One hopes he is found ok…

If he ejected how come his beacon didnt work????

That Eurocopter thing is just a mess. They can’t be serious about it.

— Those two props make passenger ingress/egress dangerous and/or time consuming.
— They block a door gun.
— They limit weapons carry ability on those stubby wings and I bet they induce nice vibrations.
— How would they shield the fuselage from darting prop blades in case of damage? Or from ice flying off?
— Makes one hell of a radar reflector.
— Props next to your window is extremly loud.
— It’s a pain when landing on slopes.

It’s a me-too plastic monster. Hide it in the hangar you cobbled it together!

The Sikorsky X2 is by far better thought-out and could be a real competitior to the VTOL-challenged tiltprops. That Europcopter X3 – never.

Er… its a technology demonstrator and not a prototype.

The V22 suffers from most of the issues you brought up.