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Australia is pressing ahead with the acquisition of an air traffic management (ATM) and control system and Anzac frigate communications upgrade, but the government also restructured an F/A-18C/D upgrade project to reduce costs. The work to refurbish the Boeing F/A-18s is expected to cost A$250-300 million ($246-296 million). The goal is to keep them flying until the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter arrives. The defense ministry says the deal saves A$500 million over an earlier approach that saw the program broken into parts. The F-35 is due to reach initial operational capability in the 2017-18 or 2020-21 timeframe, says...

Australia’s first squadron of F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jets is operational and ready for duty following the arrival of four new aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley. The Super Hornets will add to the fire power of the RAAF, taking Australia’s capability to the next generation of fighter plane. The fleet includes the first three of Australia’s Super Hornets to be configured to accommodate the Growler electronic attack system. The Super Hornets will ensure Australia's air combat capability is maintained until the full introduction into service of the Joint Strike Fighter. The fleet of Super Hornets has reached initial operational capability...

Royal Australian Air Force is First U.S. Ally to Employ JSOW C (Source: Raytheon Company; issued December 6, 2010) WOOMERA, Australia --- The Royal Australian Air Force launched two Raytheon Company Joint Standoff Weapon Cs from the RAAF's new F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, marking the first time a U.S. ally has operationally tested a JSOW C. This test series also marked the first time the JSOW C variant has been employed outside the continental United States. The RAAF also has placed an order for the JSOW C-1, which is currently in production; deliveries are expected to begin in 2011. The JSOW...

In April 2004 the Australian Defence Forces selected EADS's Airbus A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport as a replacement for its ageing Boeing 707-based aerial tanker aircraft. Aside from supportability issues, the 707s had only a probe and drogue refuelling capability. Whenever its General Dynamics F-111s needed to air refuel, the Royal Australian Air Force had to rent a tanker with a boom. Several additions to the RAAF fleet, such as the Boeing 737-based Wedgetail, Boeing C-17 and future Lockheed Martin F-35 need a boom-equipped tanker to fully exploit their capabilities.Additionally, inter-operability with allied nations would be enhanced with a dual mode...

Boeing Marks Retirement of Royal Australian Air Force F-111 FleetAMBERLEY, Queensland, Dec. 2, 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] will bid a fond farewell to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-111 strike fighters that the company has supported for more than 14 years when the fleet is retired on Dec. 3. As prime contractor for F-111 through-life support activities since 1996, Boeing Defence Australia has designed, developed and delivered technologies and modifications to improve the operational effectiveness of the F-111 fleet from its facilities at RAAF Base Amberley. These upgrades included aircraft overhauls conducted under the F-111 Weapons...

AMBERLEY'S mighty F-111s will take to Queensland skies for the final time on Friday. While Friday morning's flyover of the southeast corner and northern NSW will mark the fighter-bomber's public swansong, on Thursday the RAAF community bid farewell to the beloved aircraft the best way it knew how. ..... The F-111s will take off from Amberley about 11.20am before passing over Laidley, Ipswich, Rosewood and The group will then split with one contingent flying a northern route over Sandgate, Redcliffe, Bribie Island, Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosa by 12.05pm. The second group will pass over the Gold Coast, Coolangatta, Byron Bay...

Australia has added the acquisition of Lockheed Martin's AGM-158 JASSM missile for its Boeing F/A-18 A/B fleet to its Projects of Concern list. Australia's Department of Defence says the project is behind schedule and "risks to capability remain". In 2006, Australia selected the joint air-to-surface stand-off missile over Boeing's SLAM-ER cruise missile for its F/A-18 A/Bs. "The government has not been kept properly and fully informed as to the progress with respect to this major project," says defence minister Stephen Smith. The next milestone in the project is a live firing from a Royal Australian Air Force Hornet in the...

Australia adds JASSM to Projects of Concern list By Greg Waldron Australia has added the acquisition of Lockheed Martin's AGM-158 JASSM missile for its Boeing F/A-18 A/B fleet to its Projects of Concern list. Australia's Department of Defence says the project is behind schedule and "risks to capability remain". In 2006, Australia selected the joint air-to-surface stand-off missile over Boeing's SLAM-ER cruise missile for its F/A-18 A/Bs. "The government has not been kept properly and fully informed as to the progress with respect to this major project," says defence minister Stephen Smith. The next milestone in the project is a...

F-111s streak towards retirement THEY arrived late and amid much controversy, but 37 years later the Royal Australian Air Force is counting down the days to the retirement of the F-111s. The decision to acquire the supersonic strike aircraft is now recognised one of Australia's best defence purchases. Ordered by the Menzies government in 1963, the first F-111 arrived in 1973. The Amberley-based 6 Squadron, west of Brisbane, is operating the last active F-111 medium-range bombers in the world. The RAAF has planned a series of events to mark the passing of the aircraft which gave Australia a huge technological...

Naval Aviation Training Systems program office (PMA-205) delivered two Super Hornet Integrated Visual Environment Maintenance Trainers (IVEMT) to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at Amberley Air Force Base, Ipswich, Australia in October. The IVEMT is a 3-D visual trainer which allows military personnel to virtually navigate through multiple aircraft systems. It provides maintainers training on ground operation, maintenance, and testing. It also offers troubleshooting procedures for the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft including avionics, environmental control, electrical, flight control, fuel, engines, landing gear, and hydraulic systems. The IVEMT was designed exclusively for RAAF and is the first Super Hornet maintenance...

As a mid-sized power, Australia should buy its jet fighters off the shelf. Not for the first time, the Joint Strike Fighter is making headlines for all of the wrong reasons - cost and schedule overruns and cancelled orders. This is not good news when the aircraft is the planned future of Australia's air combat force. The Australian government was an enthusiastic backer of this aircraft right from the start. Advertisement: Story continues below In 2002 it cancelled a study that was looking at a range of fighter and strike aircraft and instead signed up to the JSF program not...

Deep cuts to defence spending announced this week by Britain may mean Australia's plans to spend billions of dollars on high-tech fighter aircraft will be even more expensive. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, said this week that the austerity cuts would include slashing the number of Joint Strike Fighters to be bought from the US. He did not specify how many of the fighters would be cut from the original commitment of 138, but experts have predicted Britain could end up buying as few as 40, or even 12. Mr Cameron said the British government had also scrapped plans...

RAAF to get new Airbus tanker, capable of carrying cargo, troops or refuelling Mard Dodd From: The Australian MILITARY certification has been given for the RAAF's new multi-role tanker, paving the way for the delivery of the Airbus aircraft under a $1.4 billion contract running a year late. The RAAF has provisionally accepted one of a five-aircraft order with two more of the advanced tanker planes to be delivered by mid-November, a spokesman for Australian Aerospace told The Australian Online. The wide-body aircraft have been specially modified for air-to-air refuelling and personnel transport. To be known as the KC-30A, the...

Strategic Needs and Force Structure Analysis: The Thinking Behind the F-22A and Evolved F-111 Force Mix Option (excerpt) (Source: Air Power Australia; published Oct. 4, 2010) Air Power Australia, a group of Australian opponents to the Joint Strike Fighter which have, in the past, published interesting analysis of the aircraft’s drawbacks and operational shortcomings, have now come up with a proposal to instead upgrade the F-111 strike fighters that the Royal Australian Air Force is due to retire at year-end. Their rationale for modernizing the F-111, excerpted from an improbable political fiction scenario backing their call for parallel procurement of...

Super Hornets will put RAAF back on the regional front foot Cameron Stewart, Associate editor From: The Australian September 18, 2010 The air force is about to reverse a decade of decline with a string of new aircraft THE balance of power in Asia is changing faster than the new Gillard government would like. China is flexing its muscles, making its near neighbours nervous with its ambitious naval expansion. The US has taken note and is quietly shoring up its alliances in the region, reassuring all that it will remain the pre-eminent power in the Pacific. These big-picture trends are...

Defence given lift-off to buy Growler warplanes Mark Dodd From: The Australian September 08, 2010 12:00AM Defence given lift-off to buy Growler warplanes Mark Dodd From: The Australian September 08, 2010 12:00AM Increase Text SizeDecrease Text SizePrintEmail Share Add to DiggAdd to del.icio.usAdd to FacebookAdd to KwoffAdd to MyspaceAdd to NewsvineWhat are these?WASHINGTON has given the go-ahead for Australia to buy the EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare aircraft. It is the most advanced warplane of its type in the world, defence industry sources said yesterday. The Australian understands the decision was made about a fortnight ago by the US Technology, Transfer,...

Pigs will soon fly for the last time for RAAF Brendan Nicholson THE "Flying Pigs"are taking part in their last major exercise before retirement after 37 years with the Royal Australian Air Force. The long-range F-111 bomber was nicknamed for its ability to "hunt at night with its nose in the weeds" thanks to terrain-following radar that let it sweep in on targets at a low level. The iconic swing-wing aircraft was ordered for the RAAF in the 1960s because they could carry nuclear weapons and had the range to bomb Jakarta at a time when Indonesia was seen as...

After serving the nation for several years, an army squadron of 11 Iroquois helicopters will become tourist attractions at military bases around Australia. "Townsville and the other locations selected have had an association with the Iroquois helicopter for a very long time. It's only fitting then that these helicopters come to rest among these communities," Minister for Defence Materiel and Science Greg Combet said. "One Iroquois helicopter will be kept for permanent display outside Townsville's RAAF Base, where we expect it to attract military enthusiasts and other visitors." The helicopters will also be seen at Bandiana and Point Cook in...

Air Force’s transition to next-generation air combat capability has advanced further with today’s arrival of another six F/A-18F Super Hornets at RAAF Base Amberley, Minister for Defence Senator John Faulkner announced. Today’s touch-down followed a four-day journey from Naval Air Station Lemoore in California. “The Super Hornet acquisition project continues to be a major success. It is delivering a quantum leap in air combat capability to Air Force, on-time and on-budget,” Senator Faulkner said. “This project is a great example of what can be achieved through a strong Defence and Industry partnership.” “This is the culmination of the hard work...

RAAF is planning to transit six more F/A-18F Super Hornets from the United States to RAAF Amberley in early July, 2010. The Minister for Defence of Australia, Senator John Faulkner, said a detachment of RAAF aircrew and maintenance personnel from No 1 Squadron is currently conducting work-ups with the brand new aircraft at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California. "The detachment is completing comprehensive flight testing which includes up to 96 hours of test and evaluation flying and two weeks of Electronic Warfare flight trials from Lemoore," Senator Faulkner was quoted as saying in a news release by the Australian...