Royal Australian Air Force [RAAF] News, Discussions and Updates

[Redlands18]

According to an article in todays WATODAY, the RAAF is to get six MQ 4C Tritons,from 2023, with a 7th still in consideration. At a cost of nearly $7billion according to the paper, which seems wrong to me.

Sky News is saying $7b as well.
They are saying that the actual cost of "buying" the 6 Aircraft is $1.4b, the rest includes upgrading both Edinburgh and Tindall Air Bases.

 

[MrConservative]

Sky News is saying $7b as well

Confirmed from the lips of the Minister. The $7B obviously all up WoLC and includes $2.5B of work for Australian industry including infrastructure according to the Minister who was interviewed by Kieran Gilbert.

 

[rawcs]

According to an article in todays WATODAY, the RAAF is to get six MQ 4C Tritons,from 2023, with a 7th still in consideration. At a cost of nearly $7billion according to the paper, which seems wrong to me.

From the Minister's press release:

"As part of this investment Australia will also enter into a $200 million cooperative program with the United States Navy for the development, production and sustainment of the MQ-4C Triton."

and

"As part of the initial $1.4 billion investment in the Triton system, the Government will invest $364 million on new facilities at RAAF Base Edinburgh and RAAF Base Tindal, as well the necessary ground control systems, support and training required to implement a project of this nature."

So normal Defence practice in the reporting of program costs.

 

[Boatteacher]

The ABC suggests the operations of these Tritons will include SCS patrols and FON exercises there.
It occurs to me that an unmanned drone might embolden someone/a country disapproving of such FON's to target an "accidental" knockdown, believing this is less likely to be an incident that escalates.

I'll leave it to others to comment on how easy an accidental knockdown is. Mid air collisions - a case of deliberate action or simply too aggressive intimidation, who knows - are not unknown, although both aircraft tend to suffer. But you would think it might not be that hard to stage one at minimal material cost to the aggressor and with sufficient denial plausibility - just.

 

[Wombat000]

The ABC suggests the operations of these Tritons will include SCS patrols and FON exercises there.
It occurs to me that an unmanned drone might embolden someone/a country disapproving of such FON's to target an "accidental" knockdown, believing this is less likely to be an incident that escalates.

I was pondering this myself.
One might consider the likelihood of a state making a statement by striking at a 'minor partner' instead of the allied major power more probable??
Making that statement v an unmanned system might make that move perhaps an attractive option?

 

[pussertas]

Australia to Invest in RMAF Base Butterworth

(Source: Royal Australian Air Force; issued June 25, 2018)
Australia will upgrade facilities at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth used by the Australian Defence Force, as part of our long-standing commitment to regional security.

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne said the $22 million investment will ensure Butterworth remains fit for purpose well into the future.

“Australian Defence Force personnel have had a presence at Butterworth for 60 years and the investment reflects the ongoing importance of the base to Australia and Malaysia,” Minister Payne said.

“Around 50 ADF personnel are hosted at RMAF Butterworth by Malaysia and this can increase to up to 350 during exercises.

“The upgrades to the facilities at the RMAF Butterworth will begin with a detailed assessment, which will be done in consultation with Malaysia.”

The announcement was made at the inaugural Malaysia-Australia High Level Committee meeting on Defence Cooperation held at RMAF Butterworth today with the Malaysian Minister of Defence, His Excellency Tuan Haji Mohamad bin Sabu.

“It is fitting that we are able to agree to this investment as we celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Australia’s presence at the Base this week. It represents a strong commitment to further strengthen the Australia-Malaysia defence partnership and our enduring ties,” Minister Payne said.

During the meeting, Australia also committed to:
-- continue to support the development of Malaysia’s Urban Combat Training facility;
-- increase the number of Defence scholarships offered to Malaysia for study in Australia each year from five to eight; and
-- provide further F/A-18 spare parts to assist with the sustainment of Malaysia’s fleet.

“These initiatives will further strengthen Australia and Malaysia’s strong and long-standing Defence relationship, which is based on longstanding people-to-people links, shared interests and shared values.”

 

[pussertas]

1000 Giant Leaps Forward

(Source: Royal Australian Air Force; issued June 25, 2018)
Our personnel at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, US, celebrated a capability milestone after Australian F-35A aircraft completed 1,000 sorties.

The Australian Partner Maintenance Liaison Officer, SQLNDR Chris Myles, said reaching 1000 sorties was a significant achievement for the team in the US as it recognised a successful collaborative effort.

“We could not have reached 1000 sorties in the time we had if it wasn’t for our strong partnerships – that’s RAAF, USAF and Lockheed Martin, all pulling in the same direction,” SQNLDR Myles said.

“We only accepted our latest four aircraft in recent months so the vast majority of those hours have been clocked by A35-001 and A35002.” Australian training operations at LAFB have progressively increased in tempo since acceptance of our first two aircraft in 2014.

“Reaching over 1400 operational hours at this stage of the introduction of the F-35A is a testament to the high serviceability of the Australian aircraft,” SQNLDR Myles said.

SQNLDR David Bell, the pilot who launched the 1000th sortie and the second Australian to fly the F-35A, reflected on what this means to the Australians flying and maintaining the F-35A.

“The jets’ capabilities have matured significantly over the past 1000 sorties,” SQNLDR Bell said.

“As a team, we’ve learned many lessons that will hold us in good stead when we bring our first two aircraft home later this year.” The introduction of the F-35A into Australian service is a significant step in the evolution of a fifth-generation air combat capability.

Air Force has six F-35A aircraft and expects delivery of four more aircraft in 2018.

Australia’s first two F-35A aircraft to be permanently based at RAAF Base Williamtown are on schedule to arrive in December.

 

[toryu]

That costing would be about right considering that they are of similar flyaway cost to the P-8A and some expensive infrastructure will be required. That $7 billion probably is the highest cost and will most likely be the all up including infrastructure, training, manuals, maintenance etc. Undoubtedly the actual cost could be somewhat less.

Yep. From an ABC article:

She told PM the "total cost of the six aircraft, and the associated systems and the infrastructure and estate works that need to be done, is estimated at about $3 billion, which is absolutely within the provision of the integrated investment program".

Senator Payne said the $6.9 billion dollar figure includes whole of life sustainment costs for the planes

 

[SpazSinbad]

Here is the URL for the 1000 Giant Leaps Forward: 1000 Giant Leaps Forward | Royal Australian Air Force

 

[John Fedup]

Meanwhile in Canada, it's a 1000 steps backward with the purchase of 25 used classic Hornets, absolutely frigging pathetic!

 

[SpazSinbad]

Meanwhile in Canada, it's a 1000 steps backward with the purchase of 25 used classic Hornets, absolutely frigging pathetic!

You can always emigrate to our GREAT SOUTHERN LAND instead of being in that GREAT WHITE UP of yourn. YMMV. All your cold chills will melt away and you may even warm to us.

 

[t68]

You can always emigrate to our GREAT SOUTHERN LAND instead of being in that GREAT WHITE UP of yourn. YMMV. All your cold chills will melt away and you may even warm to us.

Nope can’t do that, if he becomes a citizen of AU he no long will have to post about the poor perform defence industry in Canada.

 

[ngatimozart]

You can always emigrate to our GREAT SOUTHERN LAND instead of being in that GREAT WHITE UP of yourn. YMMV. All your cold chills will melt away and you may even warm to us.

Nope can’t do that, if he becomes a citizen of AU he no long will have to post about the poor perform defence industry in Canada.

He wouldn't be able to handle the climate. Be too hot for him Anyway if he did migrate, he'd still be able to post about Canadian defence. Just wouldn't cause him so much angst

 

[SpazSinbad]

Nice 'trite' bits about Future TRITON capabilities: Australia commits to Triton in $5 billion deal 27 Jun 2018

"...The Australian Defence Force estimates Triton is capable of establishing a ten-hour orbit in the Southern Ocean, south of Heard Island, or similar efforts to the north of Guam and to the East of Fiji in the Pacific Ocean, from bases around the country.

Australia is interested in the multi-intelligence (MULTI-INT), also known as integration functional capability 4 version of the Triton. This features several enhancements over the baseline aircraft and includes a signals intelligence payload which, in U.S. Navy service, is intended to replace the Lockheed EP-3E Aries surveillance platform.

The cooperative development program Australia has signed with the U.S. Navy is similar to the agreement it has with the Navy regarding P-8A spiral development and will seek to influence the further development of the MULTI-INT Triton to meet Australia’s specific needs. Items of interest are understood to include the integration of a weather radar system, for prolonged operations in tropical conditions where daily thunderstorms are a fact of life, and a ground moving target indicator to facilitate overland ISR missions in addition to the blue water maritime surveillance role...."

 

[hairyman]

$5 Billion. It is getting cheaper everyday. When will we order the seventh do you think?

 

[ASSAIL]

$5 Billion. It is getting cheaper everyday. When will we order the seventh do you think?

MINDEF released costing details on Triton during Senate Question time today.
The acquisition cost, including support infrastructure in the NT and SA was $3.9b for the 6 units.
Through life sustainment has been estimated as a further $3b

 

[pussertas]

Airbus Performs World’s First Automatic Air-to-Air Refueling Contact with Large Aircraft Receiver

(Source: Airbus; issued July 12, 2018)

After demonstrating automatic air-to-air refueling of a fighter, Airbus has now done it with a large aircraft receiver, with a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A acting as receiver from an Airbus-owned A310 tanker. (Airbus photo)
MADRID --- Airbus Defence and Space has followed its earlier achievement in demonstrating Automatic Air-to-Air (A3R) refuelling of a fighter with another world-first – the same operation performed with a large receiver aircraft.

In a joint operation with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which is collaborating with Airbus in development of this pioneering technology, Airbus’ A310 company development tanker performed seven automatic contacts with a RAAF KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport, also made by Airbus.

The system requires no additional equipment on the receiver and is intended to reduce refuelling boom operator workload, improve safety, and optimise the rate of air-to-air refuelling (AAR) in operational conditions to maximise aerial superiority. Airbus has begun work towards introducing the system on the current production A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (A330 MRTT).

During initial approach of the receiver, boom control is performed by the tanker’s Air Refuelling Operator (ARO) as usual. Innovative passive techniques such as image processing are then used to determine the receiver’s refuelling receptacle position and when the automated system is activated, a fully automated flight control system flies and maintains the boom aligned with the receiver’s receptacle.

The telescopic beam inside the boom can be controlled in a range of ways including: manually by the ARO; a relative distance-keeping mode; or full auto-mode to perform the contact.

In the 20 June flight off the southern Spanish coast, the A310 tanker performed the scheduled seven contacts over a two-hour test period.

David Piatti, who again acted as Airbus Test ARO, or “boomer”, on the A310, said: “It was extremely impressive to see how accurately the A3R system tracks the receiver. It can be very useful to be able to refuel another tanker or transport, for example to extend its deployment range or to avoid taking fuel back to base, but it is also a challenging operation and this system has the potential to reduce workload and the risk involved.”

The trial was conducted in conjunction with Test Pilots and Flight Test Engineers from the RAAF’s Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU).

Squadron Leader Lawry Benier, Executive Officer for ARDU, said the RAAF were assisting Airbus Defence & Space on the development of A3R and other technologies to increase the utility of the KC-30A within a battlespace.

“It’s very encouraging to come to Spain and see the progress that’s been made with A3R, and be able to witness it firsthand refuelling our KC-30A,” Squadron Leader Benier said.

“Refuelling large receivers is a role RAAF has conducted extensively on operations and exercises, allowing us to extend the reach and responsiveness of our air mobility fleet, as well as keep surveillance aircraft in the air for longer.”

The Airbus Defence and Space A330 MRTT is the only new generation strategic tanker/transport aircraft combat-proven and available today. The large 111 tonnes/ 245,000 lb basic fuel capacity of the successful A330-200 airliner, from which it is derived, enables the A330 MRTT to excel in air-to-air refuelling missions without the need for any additional fuel tank.

The A330 MRTT is offered with a choice of proven air-to-air refuelling systems including an advanced Airbus Defence and Space Aerial Refuelling Boom System, and/or a pair of under-wing hose and drogue pods, and/or a Fuselage Refuelling Unit.

Thanks to its true wide-body fuselage, the A330 MRTT can also be used as a pure transport aircraft able to carry up to 300 troops, or a payload of up to 45 tonnes/99,000 lb. It can also easily be converted to accommodate up to 130 stretchers for Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC). To-date, a total of 57 A330 MRTTs have been ordered by 11 nations (Australia, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom), with two (Australia and Saudi Arabia) having already placed repeat orders.


Interesting!

 

[John Fedup]

The MRRT will be Canada's choice if we continue to have this capability. It works well and no order for Boeing will be popular here.

 

[hauritz]

$5 Billion. It is getting cheaper everyday. When will we order the seventh do you think?

I find myself wondering what the attrition rate might be for these aircraft. The accident rate for UAVs is much higher than that of manned aircraft.

We might find ourselves buying plenty more of these aircraft over the coming decades.

 

[pgclift]

Got this of another forum in reference to the Growler incident , no link to the Estimates Committee Hansard found. I had a look but no luck



SeNator PATRICK: I just have questions in relation to the Growler accident that took place at Nellis Air Force base in the US. Are you able to assist me?

Air Marshal Davies: Yes, I can.

SeNator PATRICK: Can you just advise who carried out the investigation into the cause of the engine failure and subsequent fire on board the Growler throughout that incident?

Air Marshal Davies: The investigating team was a combination of the engine manufacturer of Defence Science and Technology Group and our own flying safety or DASR organisation, so it was a combined effort.

SeNator PATRICK: What role did the US Navy have in the investigation?

Air Marshal Davies: The US Navy were, I will say, parallel to the investigation. They were certainly involved and certainly very interested since they fly the same aircraft. It was our aircraft so our lead. We did use them at times for information flow and for any sort of experience they had with this type of accident.

SeNator PATRICK: Is the investigation complete?

Air Marshal Davies: The investigation is complete, as far as the accident itself is concerned—that is, the aircraft, the crew and the ability to determine what the cause was. However, the investigation is continuing to try and determine whether there are any other engines that we have not yet inspected that have the potential to have the same affect and indeed to get to a root cause from a manufacturing point of view.

SeNator PATRICK: To be clear, you have got a finding in respect of the aircraft that was involved in the incident but you are looking across more broadly other aircraft in the RAAF inventory?

Air Marshal Davies: Not exactly. It is an engine problem. It was a particular component issue within that single engine. What we are doing now is going through all of the engines that are in our Rhinos and Growlers to make sure the same issue is not present there.

SeNator PATRICK: What component was it and what went wrong?

Air Marshal Davies: A turbine disc was the cause. What we are trying to work on now with the manufacturer is how that might have occurred. That is the ongoing investigation.

SeNator PATRICK: And I presume, from that, there may be some remedial action that will flow across the Air Force inventory?

Air Marshal Davies: The remedial action is known and is largely complete. At the moment, we have cleared a large number of engines. We are clearing about two a week at this point to make sure they are not in any way faulty.

SeNator PATRICK: What is the status of the aircraft, the extent of the damage? Has it been written off?

Air Marshal Davies: We are just about to complete. In fact, I understand that it is complete, as far as the investigating team is concerned, and we will be providing that advice to the Minister for Defence very shortly.

SeNator PATRICK: So we don't know whether that will return to service? Is that a decision based on the cost?

Air Marshal Davies: In part the decision is based on cost, but not a pure dollar amount; it is about the amount it would take to make the aircraft flyable again. The damage is severe. I would think that it would be a reasonably big ask to return it to fly.

SeNator PATRICK: So what happens in the instance where you have lost an aircraft? I appreciate you not saying that definitively at this point. How do you then restore the capability that the RAAF wanted in terms of numbers? Did you end up procuring another aircraft?

Air Marshal Davies: SeNator, that question is fair but a little premature at this point. We'll complete the investigation and we'll make our recommendation. Then my simple response to you is that we will go through a normal capability acquisition process to determine the need and the cost when that would occur. We have that work to come yet.

SeNator PATRICK: I meant generally. If you have an aircraft that ends up being written off for some reason, in the general case, how do you restore the numbers? How do you deal with that?

Air Marshal Davies: In an aircraft acquisition, there will be an attrition aircraft consideration. That would mean that, at some point during the aircraft acquisition, we would have a number that we would put to government, and that is agreed or not, as to the number of attrition aircraft that we would buy. We purchased 12 Growler aircraft. As to the question about attrition and whether we would buy a new one or not, it's still to go through the normal acquisition process.

SeNator PATRICK: So no self-insured arrangement?

Air Marshal Davies: I'm not the insurance expert here. I don't know what the process is, but we are investigating whether there are any insurance opportunities to be had.

SeNator PATRICK: So there seriously might be some?

Air Marshal Davies: I don't know the answer. We're asking the question as whether there are any, but I don't know the answer to that question.

SeNator PATRICK: Finally, is it possible to provide the committee with the report when it's completed or is it classified?

Air Marshal Davies: I'm not being evasive here. I have no other purpose. I don't know because I haven't seen the full report yet, but I will endeavour to make available to the committee any parts of that report, with the maximum intent possible.

SeNator PATRICK: That would be appreciated, obviously when it's concluded. Thank you very much.


With thanks to Blofie2 via OTR

I missed this article in Australian Aviation on the RAAF EA-18G Growlers which are expected to achieve IOC “in the coming months”.

http://australianaviation.com.au/2018/07/raaf-growler-nearing-initial-operational-capability/

Towards the end of the article there is commentary on the Nevada Red Flag incident that indicates the damage assessment of the aircraft is complete, but still no decision has been made regarding replacing the likely loss of the aircraft.

But it seems that apart from the direct damage to the aircraft there is a further adverse impact from the accident as the article goes on to say that “while the likely loss of an airframe will obviously hurt the RAAF, the loss of a number of ALQ‑99 jammer pods which the aircraft was carrying is a blow to the wider Growler community, as production of these pods ended over a decade ago”.