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Subject: RAAF Shornets
gf0012-aust    7/21/2008 3:39:33 AM
The first fuselage has been jigged up... 23 to go
 
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Cyrus       8/11/2009 10:15:20 AM

Why not go the whole hog and just make 'bombs' that can fly? A la 'torpedoes'.

 

I guess that's what Tomahawks basically are - but to extend the logical criteria somewhat further - 2000lb 'JADAMS' hooked up to their own propulsion system and steered via remote control?

 

Oh dear, guess we're back to the 1940's now and the V2...

 

BJ:)

they are called ICBM's wich would scare shite out of everyone around us
 
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bj64       8/11/2009 7:05:05 PM


they are called ICBM's wich would scare shite out of everyone around us


I know.... that's why I said it...
BJ:)
 
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bj64       11/17/2009 6:21:40 AM
I'll still reckon we're better off spending 1/10th of the budget for these new warcraft on extending the service life of our F-111's.
 
I was interesting to read that all the shitty 'precision' jobs in 'Shock And Awe' post initial attack were carried out by pairs of Aardvarks. I'd even bet they were in there somewhere during the original insurgence too. While they may not be 'stealth', they still have two things on their side - sheer speed (which I don't think has ever been topped); and a fierce weapons capability.
 
Sure, UAV's operated out of Singapore by some pimply-faced apprentice may be the way of the future, but that day is not here yet. Not for us anyway. And I don't think we'll get the best 'toys' either way - the F22 is pretty good example of that. While we may 'fight together', the US's growing paranoia will dictate that the classic X-Files clichè "Trust No-one" is strictly obeyed. Yeh...cheers those of "The Red White & Blue - we don't trust you".
 
Until something better arrives, I think we're best served by "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" known quantities...
 
BJ:)
 
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Aussiegunneragain       11/17/2009 9:58:50 AM

I'll still reckon we're better off spending 1/10th of the budget for these new warcraft on extending the service life of our F-111's.

 

I was interesting to read that all the shitty 'precision' jobs in 'Shock And Awe' post initial attack were carried out by pairs of Aardvarks. I'd even bet they were in there somewhere during the original insurgence too. While they may not be 'stealth', they still have two things on their side - sheer speed (which I don't think has ever been topped); and a fierce weapons capability.

 

Sure, UAV's operated out of Singapore by some pimply-faced apprentice may be the way of the future, but that day is not here yet. Not for us anyway. And I don't think we'll get the best 'toys' either way - the F22 is pretty good example of that. While we may 'fight together', the US's growing paranoia will dictate that the classic X-Files clichè "Trust No-one" is strictly obeyed. Yeh...cheers those of "The Red White & Blue - we don't trust you".

 

Until something better arrives, I think we're best served by "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" known quantities...

 

BJ:)

 
The problem is that the F-111's are broke, they require 180 hours of maintenance for every hour of flight and we can only keep 6 to 8 of them going at a time. That isn't going to change with a nearly 40 year old airframe. The SH's will give us a much higher degree of availability and don't require us to design all our own modifications like upgraded Pigs would, which is a horrendously risky exercise that is quite to the contrary of being a "known quantity".I also don't know why you consider that the SH's aren't a known quantity when they have been in USN service since 1999 and have been proven in combat.
 
BTW, the F-111 left USAF service in 1998 so they had no involvement in "shock and awe", which was the term used for the strategy for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. I think you are referring to their role in the first Gulf War in 1991.
 
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StevoJH       11/17/2009 10:11:29 AM

The problem is that the F-111's are broke, they require 180 hours of maintenance for every hour of flight and we can only keep 6 to 8 of them going at a time. That isn't going to change with a nearly 40 year old airframe. The SH's will give us a much higher degree of availability and don't require us to design all our own modifications like upgraded Pigs would, which is a horrendously risky exercise that is quite to the contrary of being a "known quantity".I also don't know why you consider that the SH's aren't a known quantity when they have been in USN service since 1999 and have been proven in combat.
 

BTW, the F-111 left USAF service in 1998 so they had no involvement in "shock and awe", which was the term used for the strategy for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. I think you are referring to their role in the first Gulf War in 1991.



I saw four flying in formation with a fifth following behind last year when I was up there watching the V8's at Qld Raceway. From what a family friend said, I think that many in the air at once was an uncommon occurence.
 
From memory the F-22 (which is supposed to be hard to maintain) requires 8 or 10 hours of maintenance per flight hour?
 
Question: When I was up there I saw some old aircraft lying on the ground in a paddock rusting away, were they Canberra's? RIght next to the main road past Amberly.
 
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Aussiegunneragain       11/18/2009 2:57:47 AM



The problem is that the F-111's are broke, they require 180 hours of maintenance for every hour of flight and we can only keep 6 to 8 of them going at a time. That isn't going to change with a nearly 40 year old airframe. The SH's will give us a much higher degree of availability and don't require us to design all our own modifications like upgraded Pigs would, which is a horrendously risky exercise that is quite to the contrary of being a "known quantity".I also don't know why you consider that the SH's aren't a known quantity when they have been in USN service since 1999 and have been proven in combat.


 



BTW, the F-111 left USAF service in 1998 so they had no involvement in "shock and awe", which was the term used for the strategy for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. I think you are referring to their role in the first Gulf War in 1991.









I saw four flying in formation with a fifth following behind last year when I was up there watching the V8's at Qld Raceway. From what a family friend said, I think that many in the air at once was an uncommon occurence.


 

From memory the F-22 (which is supposed to be hard to maintain) requires 8 or 10 hours of maintenance per flight hour?


 

Question: When I was up there I saw some old aircraft lying on the ground in a paddock rusting away, were they Canberra's? RIght next to the main road past Amberly.



I lived near Amberly for years and I've never seen more than two in the air at a time, so you had a treat. I don't know about the aircraft in the field but there is a Canberra gate guard out there somewhere so it might be another.
 
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DropBear       11/18/2009 5:02:18 AM
When I was up there I saw some old aircraft lying on the ground in a paddock rusting away, were they Canberra's? RIght next to the main road past Amberly.

Yes, the two Canberras in a parlous state belong to a caravan park owner and are on the highway heading to Willowbank.
 


 
 
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bj64       11/18/2009 5:24:39 AM




BTW, the F-111 left USAF service in 1998 so they had no involvement in "shock and awe", which was the term used for the strategy for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. I think you are referring to their role in the first Gulf War in 1991.


Disagree - we're obviously reading from different sources. As far as I know, they are still using them over that way as we speak...

 
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DropBear       11/18/2009 6:14:24 AM
Disagree - we're obviously reading from different sources. As far as I know, they are still using them over that way as we speak...
 
USAF retired F-111F in July 1996 and EF-111 Raven in 1998.
 
 
 
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gf0012-aust       11/18/2009 6:15:56 AM
if you're saying that F-111's are still in US service then your source has been on another planet for a number of years.

the whole issue for the USN/USAF/USMC re prowlers and growlers (being less capable than the prowlers) has been the early withdrawal of the F-111's.  Its why the USN and USMC are picking up the light ewarfare role - they're the only ones with the packages.

there are zero USAF F-111's (let alone EF's) in operation anywhere 
 
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