Nearly everything that floats in the RAN has harpoon launches on them. SM-2/SM-6, Cbass torpedo's and probably navalised Tomahawks with shipping capability. Add to that, 100 F-35's with one of the largest refuelling fleets with the longest range munitions. Combined to that 24 Superhornets with a huge range and self refueling capability. We also have Butterworth airbase to strike from off the mainland. JORN gives us enough warning to be able to organise what ever we need from land bases.
Ok say 8 harpoons per surface ship, plus the subharpoons of the subs. But sm2 or sm6 are not shipping strike (?), surface ships torpedos maybe are not the best to throw them to an hostile surface ship that is for ex at 60 kms from the ran fleet (in this case too far away), navalised tactoms for ships i dont know if the ran would put them instead of the real tactoms (unless you have 64 cell in the vls of the anzac ii).
Then you count the raaf, say that the raaf cannot go there, for ex because the fleet is in hostile zone, that is under the superiority of the hostile air force, ok maybe the ran wouldnt put the fleet in such a condition, maybe yes with the awd´s 96 essms per ship (for ex), maybe they are there without wanting it.
A few 35B's really aren't going to save Australia. I think they would be more useful for intelligence, recon, CAS etc. It might be the sort of thing the US or UK might want to base off a ship for a while as part of a larger mission to provide those specific elements. Or if a US carrier or amphib is delayed they could send a few over to sit ready on a deck to deter other forces.
In terms of fleet things, without counting raaf, having 3, 4 or 5 f35b´s inside your awd-anzacs umbrella allows you launch your missiles or missile-torpedos (probably 2 per jet because you need a final torpedo for at least 16 or 17 kms (?)), each wave of 4 f35b´s gives the same as each surface ship (8 harpoons), if you run out of the surface ship´s ones...
One of the standard config for wasp class is 6 harriers.
The LHD may be useful to operate F-35B during traning exercises. While the UK or the US may not send a amphib or carrier for a training exercise, troops and personel can get experience calling in airstrikes.
I didn't think Spain was going to use the BPE as a carrier, just for training or emergency purposes
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They are doing, they are goint to put all the jets, they have a powerful electronic suite (radars, controllers, comms) for managing more than 4 or 5 jets, these capacities in the jci in terms of jets needs are very well covered compared to the light carrier pda can give. Maybe they think that spain will use the bpe for jets just when the pda is in refit, but now the refit for the pda has been cancelled in some of the aspects, from the budget cuts. In case spain had more jets, i would
nt be surprised to see exercises of both ships at the same time full of jets.
