Australia's recent "Arnhem Thunder" Aerial Exercise

A

Aussie Digger

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08 April 2004
Exercise Arnhem Thunder

Approximately 450 people, F/A-18 Hornets from 75SQN RAAF Tindal, F-111 aircraft from RAAF Amberley in Queensland, and PC9 aircraft from RAAF Williamtown, New South Wales, have participated in Exercise ARNHEM THUNDER between Friday, 25 March to Thursday, 8 April 2004.

Exercise ARNHEM THUNDER trains Air Force personnel from RAAF Amberley in Queensland, RAAF Williamtown in New South Wales and local personnel from RAAF Tindal in the skills necessary for precision strike and fighter operations.

here's some pics:






.

The first pic is the most interesting. On the inboard pylon on the left wing of the F-111, you can see a pod of some sort. I have never seen such a pod before. Could it be the new Elta self protection jammer the F-111's operate, or the datalink pod for the AGM-142 Popeye standoff precision attack missile? Anyone?
 
A

Aussie Digger

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In case you can't see the pod properly, here's the High rez pic.



Cheers.
 

adsH

New Member
nice on ausie those F-111 look nice and new they have obviously been well kept i just love the way americans design there aircraft even after all this time all there old designs look better than the AC offered by other manufacturers
 
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Aussie Digger

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You're not wrong adsh, the yanks make some great looking aircraft. The F-111 still stands up after all this time. It's a shame we're getting rid of them without replacing the capability they provide. The JSF cannot match this aircraft in speed, range, load carrying ability, loitering ability and general aerodynamic performance. But the Government knows best, I guess. Apparently a standoff missile fitted to the remaining air combat force (71 fighters) and the Maritime Patrol aircraft fleet (19) can replace the loss of 36 world class strike fighters, without any degradation in an air force's firepower!!! As it stands now Australia possesses 107 Combat aircraft and 22 maritime patrol aircraft (although 3 only provide a training capability). Apparently fitting a long range standoff missile to the F-18's and Orion MPA's will make up for the loss of the 36 F-111's, and allow no gap, before we buy "up to" 100 JSF's. This is patently absurd. Particularly given that the F-18 even with the standoff missile cannot strike a target at anywhere near the same distance as an F-111, without air to air refuelling. The government has erred in deciding to get rid of the F-111's prior to a replacement being available, to the detriment of the RAAF's combat power, whatever political speeches are made.
 

adsH

New Member
Aussie Digger said:
You're not wrong adsh, the yanks make some great looking aircraft. The F-111 still stands up after all this time. It's a shame we're getting rid of them without replacing the capability they provide. The JSF cannot match this aircraft in speed, range, load carrying ability, loitering ability and general aerodynamic performance. But the Government knows best, I guess. Apparently a standoff missile fitted to the remaining air combat force (71 fighters) and the Maritime Patrol aircraft fleet (19) can replace the loss of 36 world class strike fighters, without any degradation in an air force's firepower!!! As it stands now Australia possesses 107 Combat aircraft and 22 maritime patrol aircraft (although 3 only provide a training capability). Apparently fitting a long range standoff missile to the F-18's and Orion MPA's will make up for the loss of the 36 F-111's, and allow no gap, before we buy "up to" 100 JSF's. This is patently absurd. Particularly given that the F-18 even with the standoff missile cannot strike a target at anywhere near the same distance as an F-111, without air to air refuelling. The government has erred in deciding to get rid of the F-111's prior to a replacement being available, to the detriment of the RAAF's combat power, whatever political speeches are made.
you guys are platform experts of the F-111 those F-111 are almost comparable with modern AC completely new avionics that u designed (software driven) impressive array of weapons that it could carry. i don't know why your government would Scrap them !! i said scrap because i don't htink any one could use them appart form AUS becasue you can just about build all part for the AC and i don't think The US builds any more parts for the AC so maintenance is near to impossible. i bet these AC would go into storage. the purchase of those JSF must be because of political reasons as i would of imagined the AUS has considerably contributed to the construction and development of the AC but the JSF will give you guys Vertical takeoff impressive when you actually see a harrier doing a vertical takeoff from a british career it looks like a scifi scene when i saw one for the first time i was kind of young and i really thought at the time that i was hallucinating
 

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
Australian military scientists made design changes to the F111's in the late 80's which were picked up by the USAF. We also changed some of the fatigue tests so that they were more accurate.

We've done the same with the Hornets, designed a new weapons rail that enables more ordnance to be carried.

IIRC, they are still the fastest bomber at sea level in the world - faster than am Su-27 on the deck.
 
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Aussie Digger

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We won't be getting the Vertical take-off version adsh. The Defence Minister categorically ruled it out, stating that "Australia has no requirement for such an aircraft"!!! Forget about the tactical flexibility such an aircraft would provide, ie: taking off from unprepared runways etc in far northern australia or even "god-forbid" from a naval ship!!! Nope, all Australia needs is a very small number of short ranged strike optimised fighters that take off and land conventionally and are primarily designed as a "second tier" air to air combat aircraft for it's defence needs... This is despite the fact that this aircraft in which the Government has invested so heavily, politically, is borderline on it's thrust to weight ratio at the START of it's development and is being designed from the outset with inferior radar characteristics to likely competitors. But it will have "stealth". In the front quarter of the aircraft at least. The rear end won't. This aircraft is being designed to a budget and will not end up as capable as everyone is promising, due to the design compromises this budget will impose. Cheers.
 
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