My wife was offered a role in Moresby, I said no.Been there, done that - for 2 1/2 years. For me, I’m pretty sure a return would result in instant divorce.
Stuff that, living in a guarded compound is not my idea of a good family situation.
My wife was offered a role in Moresby, I said no.Been there, done that - for 2 1/2 years. For me, I’m pretty sure a return would result in instant divorce.
Sounds like we buy crude Russian fuel via India refining. Aparently that is sufficiently laundered and meets the rules.
Here tis. All 14 hours of it. Get a stiff coffee beforehand. The defence stuff is in the second video, however there are a number of foriegn affairs related items in the first one.
I saw Greg Moriarty was in for estimates. He described the strategic environment as "challenging". Lots of references to "increasing risk", "growing", "escalating" etc. Seems to be setting the scene for additional expenditure coming up.
The %GDP number got more airplay with the 2.8% discussed. It formally includes infrastructure, veterans pensions and Border Force.
HMAS Supply and Stalwart are aparently both back in the water. Navantia paid nearly all the costs.
The ADF does not buy BYD vehicles. It sounds like they have a growing EV fleet however. No Teslas either.
Leon Phillips got to talk about his cook book. I assume he would have preferred not to.
Sounds like we buy crude Russian fuel via India refining. Aparently that is sufficiently laundered and meets the rules.
Here tis. All 14 hours of it. Get a stiff coffee beforehand. The defence stuff is in the second video, however there are a number of foriegn affairs related items in the first one.
I saw Greg Moriarty was in for estimates. He described the strategic environment as "challenging". Lots of references to "increasing risk", "growing", "escalating" etc. Seems to be setting the scene for additional expenditure coming up.
The %GDP number got more airplay with the 2.8% discussed. It formally includes infrastructure, veterans pensions and Border Force.
HMAS Supply and Stalwart are aparently both back in the water. Navantia paid nearly all the costs.
The ADF does not buy BYD vehicles. It sounds like they have a growing EV fleet however. No Teslas either.
Leon Phillips got to talk about his cook book. I assume he would have preferred not to.
I hope the adf don’t buy BYD vehicles. The US has banned the sale of Chinese Electric vehicles due to what they say is a security and surveillance risks.Sounds like we buy crude Russian fuel via India refining. Aparently that is sufficiently laundered and meets the rules.
177 ASC workers in Pearl Harbour now. 200 by the end of the year. Another 100 next year. Targeting 500 by 2030. The first cohort are due to return early next year, qualified to conduct work on virginias.
8 Australian companies now under contract to provide parts into the US Virginia construction program.
Development of their special forces and aviation capabilities has been mentioned officially.Australia’s main interest with PNG will be forward basing and clandestine operations. I can’t see us doing anything that would openly provoke the Chinese such as basing warships, combat aircraft and missiles.
We could see a few patrol boats and humanitarian equipment.
Probably of greater importance to Australia with PNG is for them to concentrate on internal security rather then train up their military. As things stand they are largely a lawless society, They lack roads and infrastructure. Truthfully the place is a mess.
Likewise I would view we need to be a little bit careful with heavy weapons. Bouganville remains a reminder of what can go wrong, and this is still a delicate peace ballance at the moment. Could easily come undone.Development of their special forces and aviation capabilities has been mentioned officially.
I suspect raising and equipping additional special forces elements (long range recon capabilities perhaps) as well as additional helicopter and light utility / transport and fixed wing maritime surveillance capabilities would be on the agenda…
I highly doubt there will be any “significant” combat capabilities delivered. Mortars and HMG’s will be the “high end” at best (or worst depending on your POV).
Some additional naval patrol craft and perhaps some landing craft, maybe tagging onto our LMV projects…
Is Ghostshark compatible with being deployed Arafura? If we ever did want to base something up there, would Arafura be compatible with the facilities? Could it deploy from a slipway or wharf?Just a nice news article on Erye finally arriving in FBW. She is parked up next to her sister Arafura on the new wharf.
That's a big win there. Let's hope they stay in the water and out of the drydock.HMAS Supply and Stalwart are aparently both back in the water. Navantia paid nearly all the costs.
I can't find anything on the ghost shark weight, however the earlier prototype (the one that looks like a football from Andruil) weighed a little under 6 tonnes by some reports.Is Ghostshark compatible with being deployed Arafura? If we ever did want to base something up there, would Arafura be compatible with the facilities? Could it deploy from a slipway or wharf?
Think 2 Speartooth fit in a 20ft container and Arafura has space for 4 containers, 2 on the flight deck and 2 below under hatches.I can't find anything on the ghost shark weight, however the earlier prototype (the one that looks like a football from Andruil) weighed a little under 6 tonnes by some reports.
I'm thinking the ghost shark by comparison, is perhaps somewhere between double and tripple that weight (my spit ball guestimate), So 12-18 tonnes. If it has a future torpedo or mine payload, then perhaps more.
The Arafura deck is only rated for 11 tonnes, and I'm unsure if the crane is weight rated for that much either.
So perhaps not.
I think we need something like an offshore supply platform to support the ghost sharks (AKA ADV Reliant). Those things can take hundreds of tonnes, could have a load of several ghost sharks and have massive cranes. Move around like a civilian ship, pick them up, clean them, charge them and put them back in. Reliant doesn't have an armoury, but I wonder what could be done with isotainers to hold payload refills.
Also no reason why ghost sharks could not deploy from HMPNGS Tarangau. Come in at night, get a charge and go back out before day break. Payload changeout might be a bit difficult given the limited armouries on the island though.
Yea, the speartooth might be a better match for the Arafura. It aparently has a super long range in the order of 2,000km. Haven't heard much about the Spearfish for a while.Think 2 Speartooth fit in a 20ft container and Arafura has space for 4 containers, 2 on the flight deck and 2 below under hatches.
IIRC there were concerns about the security of the S100, though it might also have been the fact that the selection was made by the previous gov't as a single source procurement rather than an open tender (from apparently give short-listed contenders). It is also possible there were other concerns about the capability and functionality of the S100 drones themselves.Yea, the speartooth might be a better match for the Arafura. It aparently has a super long range like the ghost shark in the oder of 2,000km. Havn't heard much about the Spearfish for a while.
All in all though, I think the Arafuras have a better purpose. I view they would be more effective with an aerial drone, like the Schiebel S100 we tested and ditched some time ago. Two of these in containers would utilse the flight deck very well have a 200km odd range and could carry a reasonably decent ISR package.
Suits the patrol nature of the Arafura better, and provides it over the horizon visibility.
I haven't heard anything about a replacement for the S100. I'm still not sure why we discontinued it. What happened here?