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

[ngatimozart]

As an outsider who has seen the P8 crew at their work station on the tv
What's the plan?
They're not sitting in ejection seats,
Not even wearing parachutes
Is it a run to grab one and head for the door?

You pays your money; you takes your chances.

I presume that they may have chutes under their seats or close by, but it's part of the risk of crewing an operational military aircraft. If they're hit by a missile or what ever, they may not get the chance. You have to accept that possibility when you swear the oath and sign on the dotted line.

 

[Todjaeger]

What they would do to such an action, is to soak up all those electrons using ELINT aircraft capabilities and then laugh at us.

At the very least they would gain better understanding of the frequency spectrum spread our radar uses, the amount of energy such a radar is producing and it’s sidelobe patterns and we’d be expanding their threat libraries for them, free of charge, with no discernible advantage to us.

Perhaps, then again, perhaps not. Some of it would depend on whether or not any of the emitter arrays or T/R modules could be utilized for EA in place of EW. In which case it might be possible to focus sufficient RF energy (particularly if at the right freq) to make the sound of a specific American breakfast cereal <snap, crackle, & pop>

 

[alexsa]

Noting the Ghost Bat is not yet operational I would not the interchangeable nose is support to include options for recce work. So if this was an option sending in the Ghost Bat with the P-8 monitoring from afar may be the better option than playing escort.

China's behaviour is unacceptable but taking down a UAV allows for all the right reactions without out the need to put the crew unnecessarily at risk.

All a moot point at the moment as it is not a mature capability and its mission packages are not developed as far as those in the public domain know.

 

[DDG38]

Meanwhile in the working Air Force :
"An EA-18G Growler aircraft from No. 6 Squadron is marshalled into position after completing a sortie at RAAF Base Darwin during Exercise Diamond Storm 2022." Image Source : ADF Image Library

 

[At lakes]

Ignore wrong thread

 

[seaspear]

I hadnt realised that the Growlers came with folding wings was this the requirement for carrier operations ?

 

[WaveWalker]

Australia bough Growlers off the US navy production line. The US Navy requires folding wings due to space considerations and so Australia has them.

 

[Redlands18]

All Aircraft ever built from the F-18 Hornet family come with folding wings, why go to all the trouble of building non folding wings, which would require a re-certification of the Aircraft? Even on Air Bases its a handy ability for parking Aircraft.

 

[vonnoobie]

All Aircraft ever built from the F-18 Hornet family come with folding wings, why go to all the trouble of building non folding wings, which would require a re-certification of the Aircraft? Even on Air Bases its a handy ability for parking Aircraft.

Have you ever met a politician? Never know what they will do ... "Folding wings!? What if the fold in flight, take them off now!"

 

[ADMk2]

AUSTRALIA – AGM-88E2 AARGM E2 MISSILES

Australia – AGM-88E2 AARGM E2 Missiles | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil

At a unit cost of around USD $807k per AARGM ‘all-up round” the dollar value gives some indication of the numbers procured…

PDF Version
Press Release - Australia 22-27 CN.pdf
Media/Public Contact
[email protected]
Transmittal No
22-27
WASHINGTON, June 21, 2022 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of AGM-88E2 AARGM E2 Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $94 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
The Government of Australia has requested to buy up to fifteen (15) AGM-88E2 Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) Guidance Sections; up to fifteen (15) AARGM Control Sections; up to fifteen (15) High Speed Anti Radiation Missiles (HARM) Rocket Motors; up to fifteen (15) HARM Warheads; and up to fifteen (15) HARM Control Sections. Also included are AGM-88E2 AARGM All Up Round (AUR) tactical missiles; AGM-88E2 AARGM Captive Air Training Missile (CATM); HARM G-Code AUR; HARM G-Code CATM; M-Code GPS receivers; containers; support and test equipment; EA-18G Growler test support; spare and repair parts; software (Classified and Unclassified); U.S. Government and contractor engineering support; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated total value is $94 million.

 

[Stampede]

Defence Connect have this little article announcing the arrival of another two F35A's to Australia
The RAAF fleet now has a total of 50 Aircraft.

I think we currently have the most F35's of all the partner nations in the F35 program outside of the US services.
Well done RAAF.

RAAF F-35A fleet hits half a century

Australia’s fifth-generation strike capability has been strengthened by the arrival of new Lockheed Martin-built F-35A fighter jets. Lockheed Martin has delivered a further two F-35A Lightning II a

www.defenceconnect.com.au

We are on the way

Cheers S

 

[John Newman]

Actually there is more.

According to ADF Serials and the F-35 database on F-16.net, LM has delivered 53 F-35A for the RAAF, those three additional airframes are likely still in the US and awaiting delivery to Oz.

Pre Covid there were 15 RAAF airframes due for production this year, so far five have been produced.

Anyway, 53 down and 19 to go.

 

[Lolcake]

Block 4 upgrades seem like a necessary upgrade and evolution of the F-35. Do upgrades typically have to return to the US to complete or can we undertake these here.

 

[John Fedup]

Block 4 upgrades seem like a necessary upgrade and evolution of the F-35. Do upgrades typically have to return to the US to complete or can we undertake these here.

I would think software upgrades would be local. WRT block 4, absolutely essential.

 

[Lolcake]

I would think software upgrades would be local. WRT block 4, absolutely essential.

How about the engine replacement?

 

[ADMk2]

How about the engine replacement?

What engine replacement? There is no program of record to replace the F-35 engine I am aware of? F135 upgrades and Congressional intent to include ADVENT technology is all I am aware of?

But if the day comes we acquire a new engine for F-35 (unlikely in my opinion, upgrades to existing engine seem far more likely) I expect we’ll be able to do it locally.

 

[ADMk2]

Block 4 upgrades seem like a necessary upgrade and evolution of the F-35. Do upgrades typically have to return to the US to complete or can we undertake these here.

We have performed substantial upgrades already locally on F-35, Super Hornet and Growler and prior to that the massive Hornet Upgrade Program.

I see little reason why future upgrades couldn’t also be performed here?

 

[FormerDirtDart]

What engine replacement? There is no program of record to replace the F-35 engine I am aware of? F135 upgrades and Congressional intent to include ADVENT technology is all I am aware of?

But if the day comes we acquire a new engine for F-35 (unlikely in my opinion, upgrades to existing engine seem far more likely) I expect we’ll be able to do it locally.

F-35 Adaptive Engine Replacement (FAER). Request For Information was issued on January.
USAF launches F-35 advanced engine effort

“Responses to this research will aid in the determination of the market's ability in delivering a complete propulsion system (for example, engine and associated components) that can be fully integrated into the F-35A weapon system in order to meet propulsion and aircraft production delivery schedules. The objective of the FAER programme is to fulfill the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP),” the RFI said.

 

[John Newman]

What engine replacement? There is no program of record to replace the F-35 engine I am aware of? F135 upgrades and Congressional intent to include ADVENT technology is all I am aware of?

But if the day comes we acquire a new engine for F-35 (unlikely in my opinion, upgrades to existing engine seem far more likely) I expect we’ll be able to do it locally.

Agree.

Let’s not forget that we have an F135 heavy maintenance facility here in Australia.

It’s not just for performing work for the RAAF but also regional F-35 users too.

Australia F135 Engine Heavy Maintenance Facility Achieves IDC -

TAE’s F135 MRO&U facility in Australia becomes the first operational F135 engine depot in the Asia-Pacific region.

www.taeaerospace.com

 

[ADMk2]

F-35 Adaptive Engine Replacement (FAER). Request For Information was issued on January.
USAF launches F-35 advanced engine effort

That isn’t part of the suite of Block 4 upgrades and is in RFI stage only. An up-rated F135 may well be the chosen engine.