Official: Australia purchases 24 F/A-18E Super Hornets

[Chris]

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2007/02/australia-to-buy-24-super-hornets-as-interim-gapfiller-to-jsf/index.php#more

Awsome now we can retire the F-111 fleet in 2010.

also ordered

- 48 installed and 6 spare F414 engines
- 24 AN/APG-79 AESA radar systems
- 24 AN/USQ-140 Multifunctional Informational Distribution System Low Volume Terminals (MIDS-LVT Link 16)
- 30 AN/ALR-67(V)3 Electric Warfare Countermeasures Receiving Sets, the same kind that will also equip Australia's other Hornets after the ALR 2002 project's failure.
- Integration of the AN/ALE-47 Electronic Warfare Countermeasures Systems
- 145 LAU-127 Guided Missile Launchers. These wingtip launchers allow the plane to launch AIM-9 Sidewinders or medium-range AIM-120 AMRAAM air-air missiles.
- 30 AN/PVS-9 night vision goggles
- 12 Joint Mission Planning Systems
- AN/ALE-55 Fiber Optic Towed Decoys
- System integration and testing, software development/integration, test sets and support equipment, spare and repair parts, maintenance and pilot training, software support, publications and technical documents.

finally somthen cool to talk about=]

[Chris]

more info on the super hornet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F/A-18_Super_Hornet

[lulldapull]

Sounds like the JSF is really behind schedule.

It's a pitty that Australia can't afford the F-22. I wouldn't buy neither this nor the JSF. Neither offer a decisive edge against the TNI-AU Su-30MK's, or the RMAF Su-30MKM's considering that the Russians will be offering a Phazatron AESA retrofit for their Flanker customers soon.

Chris.....in all honesty the F-111 is indispensible to the RAAF! It cannot be replaced by anything. look at this Super Bugs pathetic range. It can't even fly out to Indonesia and make it back without some form of A-A refueling. The Pig can strike Jakarta with upto 6000 lb's of ordnance and make it back no problem from northern WA!:)

I don't know what the Ozzie's will replace the long range F-111 with.....if ever! There is no capable replacement. The Super bug is good for Airdefence no doubt, and the AESA totally enhances its performance, but for long range Strikes.........specially considering the geographic distances around Australia........

[Chris]

Australia can afford the F-22 lol australia also has a preety good cruise missile , cant remember what its called.

[attitude]

with a yearly budget surplus of 6 billion we can definetely afford the Raptor
And not some watered down version either that Australia would not accept
The real mcoy or nothing
Yes the F/A-18E will give comminality with the existing fleet of a/b's but the F-15E would be such a better replacement for the F-111's

Lucky for Australia that Indonesia has less than 10 flankers at the moment

The Labour opposition also has a preference for the Raptor like the RAAF does so lets kick out John Howard next election and vote in Kevin Rudd.
He seems to be the only one listening to the one voice that matters, the voice of the RAAF

[lulldapull]

I am all for Fat Arse Beazely, and Rudd! this Howard's really knocked up the system here. If it wasn't for Latham being the A-hole with his blunt mouth, Labour might have won last time. He totally ruined it!

I hope the RAAF rejects this half baked JSF, and go for the F-22, or the Pak-FA.:)

Btw. Chris.....Howard panicked so bad when the Flankers went to Jakarta, that he just got a batch of BGM-109 'Tomahawks' delivered right away!:laugh4:

But in hind sight it was a good move as the HMAS Sheehan can now launch them against Indonesian Flanker bases......They wouldn't know what hit them...unless they get the Tor-M1's and other Russian surveillance radars.

[attitude]

another thing this country seriously lacks in is surface to air missile's
All we have is the crappy rapier's which are now over 20 years old
We should be getting the latest patriots and stingers and maybe even look to russia for the Tor-M1
Our sams defences are virtually non existent at the moment

[Chris]

yea i have to agree with you there atti , the rapiers are being retired btw by RBS-70 plus the airwarefare destroyers where getting.

perhaps this year they'll by some longer range sam system.

with the RBS they also purchased "bolide missiles" heres its info

"The latest development is the BOLIDE system. It has a range of 8 km and can reach an altitude of 5 km. The BOLIDE has also a new warhead, which is both fragmentating and has a shaped charge, the adaptable proximity fuse gives it full effectiveness against a wider variety of targets, and new reprogrammable electronics gives it the possibility to engage attack cruise missiles and UAVs. The BOLIDE missile is an RBS 70 Mk 2 upgrade that is faster (Mach 2 vs Mach 1.6), with a range up to 8 km (4.8 miles). The BOLIDE deliveries were initiated in 2005"

[lulldapull]

The RAAF has good aircraft and good pilots. The F-111's can range far and wide, and deliver precision ordnance on the dime.

The Tomahawks will deter any aggression from Indonesian and Malaysian Flankers.

Work is in progress to modify the Collins Class subs to launch them. They can already launch the AGM-84 in surface attack config. against all hostiles in the region. I have been working on these boats and they are frigging awesome!

If a powerful Sam system needs to be procured than Australia has to either look at the PAC-III's or the S-400's. That will virtually gaurantee area denial.

[apple_fritta]

haha! Australia buying russi equipment! whats nex? syria buying israeli lavi?? u must be joking there altitude man! It has to be yank made or possibl;y european.....