Why all the concern with keeping their SuperHornets USN compatible? Are they hoping to sell them back to the USN after the F-35 comes online?
I would think the long term disposition for the SuperHornets, ordered as a stopgap in capability between the retiring of the F-111C in 2010 and the activation of the F-35 in 2015+, would be to retire their F/A-18As and Bs, but continue to operate the F/A-18Fs. It seems if that were the case, they would want to make the F/A-18Fs compatible with their current inventory of ASRAAMs.
Those wacky Aussies! Everybody in their neighborhood are buying Su-27s, Su-30s, and F-15s, while they're buying F/A-18Fs. Bringing a knife to a gunfight.
The idea of giving it back seems to be the case.Pretty weird to have 2 state of the art AAMs & that to in rather limited numbers.
With their soon to be delivered Boeing AEW/C & refuellers,I wouldn't underestimate the SuperHornets.