Air force eyes 18 more Super Hornets as delays dog our new fighter (Australia)

The Australian ^ | April 11, 2011 | Brendan Nicholson

[sukhoi-30mki]

Air force eyes 18 more Super Hornets as delays dog our new fighter

EXCLUSIVE Brendan Nicholson, Defence editor

DEVELOPMENT of the revolutionary Joint Strike Fighter, intended to provide Australia's air defence through this century, is running well behind schedule and the RAAF may need to buy 18 more Super Hornets for $1.5 billion to fill the gap.

Australian defence officials head for the US this week for an update from Lockheed Martin Corporation, which is developing the stealthy, multi-role JSF, now named the F-35 Lightning II.

The Australian understands they will raise serious concerns about delays in the project and the possibility of an alarming gap in Australia's air defences from 2020 onwards.

A recent report by the US Government Accountability Office indicates the program, already behind schedule and over budget, is likely to experience additional production and cost pressures.

Australia plans to buy up to 100 F-35s for an estimated $16bn and has so far ordered 14, with the RAAF's first squadron supposed to be operating by 2018.

However, the US air force is buying the same variant of the JSF as the RAAF and has pushed back the dates by which it expects to have its first squadrons operational from mid-2016 to 2017 -- and possibly now to mid-2018.

Officials from Lockheed Martin have insisted the problems in the US will not mean any delays in delivering Australia's first 14 aircraft.

But there is growing concern in Canberra that the US delays will mean the RAAF's first squadron may not be ready until about 2020

[sukhoi-30mki]

RAAF Super Hornet

[hattend]

However, the US air force is buying the same variant of the JSF as the RAAF and has pushed back the dates by which it expects to have its first squadrons operational from mid-2016 to 2017 -- and possibly now to mid-2018.

How many Raptors could we buy over the next 6 years waiting for the F-35 to come on line?

[newzjunkey]

the US air force is buying the same variant of the JSF as the RAAF and has pushed back the dates by which it expects to have its first squadrons operational from mid-2016 to 2017 -- and possibly now to mid-2018.

What a joke. Why the delay? If it's a question manufacturing capacity, we have millions of able Americans needing work.

[newzjunkey]

How many Raptors could we buy over the next 6 years waiting for the F-35 to come on line?

With production shut down, it would cost billions to start up again. Not gonna happen with Gates at Defence. Air Force has cut flight training hours by 1/3 to save money. Since they weren't used in Libya, who knows where the F-22 will see action if ever.

An awful lot of eggs are being put in the F-35 basket.