Posted on 05/27/2015 4:18:17 AM PDT by naturalman1975
ONCE in danger of being branded a costly turkey, the RAAF's Wedgetail aircraft are now flying high.
AFTER more than 1200 hours directing Australian and coalition aircraft in strike missions against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the six E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft have been declared fully operationally ready.
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews said Australia now had the most advanced air battle space management capability in the world.
But this didn't come easy.
A succession of technical problems with the aircraft's advanced radar raised concerns that the entire project could be cancelled.
US aerospace company Boeing was named as preferred tenderer for the $3.5 billion project in 1999, with the first two aircraft promised for late 2006. It was named Wedgetail after the high-flying all-seeing Australian native eagle.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Getting a drink from a mate.
http://www.airforce.gov.au/Technology/Aircraft/B737_Wedgetail/?RAAF-yFLAkgbpvuhRf7dG5J3kHi1Q4caywtso
Speed Maximum 955 km/h, cruise 760 km/h
Range 7,040 km
Ceiling 41,000 feet
Equipment
- Multi-role electronically scanned array (MESA) radar with range in excess of 400km
- Electronic warfare self-protection measures including directed infra-red counter-measures, chaff and flares
- Communication systems including HF, VHF, UHF, Link-11, Link-16, UHF SATCOM and ICS
- 10 mission consoles
All that technology and we still can’t beat ISIS.
We’re not trying to beat ISIS.
So few windows to look out of ... (snark!)
I don’t think a lot of people realize the extent to which the Aussies are looking at China and building up their military capabilities.
I read where they’re about to get their first EA-18G Growlers. And I’d bet that within the next 5-10 years they’re going to be buying F-35Bs for their San Carlos Class-derived helo carriers.
Apropos of nothing, yet to put that in perspective, we had thunderstorms here last night that were 52,000 feet tall. (Almost 10 miles...)
Ya, I know.
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