Aussie Digger said:
No matter how long the range of the missiles they carry (when they are not in the workshop), there is only so many platforms, to perform an enormous number of tasks. Pensioning off 30 odd platforms that conduct the majority of strike missions for ADF, is hardly "bolstering" our strike capability.
This is part of the misconception that we face. Although we have '30-odd' F-111s in service (35 to be exact), eight of these are permanently grounded F-111G 'hangar queen' hulks, another six are operational F-111Gs which, although they enjoy a relatively good rate of availability, can only be employed operationally as 'dumb' bombers, or at a pinch as 'smart' bombers if 'buddied' with a Pave Tack-equipped F-111C. They can't employ Harpoon or AGM-142.
Of the 21 F-111Cs we have left (which are our only real precision 'strike' assets), four of which are Recce jets which can't carry Pave Tack (and therefore can't drop and laze their own LGBs), we have
at best 12 of these available at any one time. So our 30-odd strike patforms are at best, less than half that number, and that's assuming we can crew them up too!
People need to realise that we no longer require a direct replacement for the F-111, as neither the political nor strategic requirements exist any more. The F-111's range has, for over a decade, been limited to that of the Hornet because there's no way we were going to send it downtown Jakarta or New Delhi or Beijing (or wherever the threat du jour is) without a heavily armed Hornet escort. What we DO require is an aircraft which can perform precision strike and control of the air equally well, and if a strategic requirement materialises in the future, we have tankers which can get them out further without the need for an escort.
As for replacing the F-111 with F-15s as has been suggested on another thread...why? That would give us the headache of a) having to transition to another type and b) a platform which, although it can self-escort, isn't all that much more capable in real terms.
JSF is the RIGHT way to go, not F-22, not F-15, not Eurofighter, and because it's now too late, not an interim type. If Phase 3 of AIR 5376 goes to plan, the HUGged Hornets with JASSM, JDAM, datalinks, new EWSPs, tankers (Is 5 enough? Probably not - i'd like to see 8-10!), Wedgetail, JORN, Vigilare will do the job. In the meantime, 82WG will have a planned and controlled draw down of the F-111 and then convert to the JSF over a 3-4 year period, and be back up and running from mid 2014. Once the JSF is sorted and the Block 2 software and hardware is in place from mid 2015, the Hornets can be drawn down and retired gracefully.
Magoo
