Australian lawmakers confident in F-35's future

[popcorn]

Deleted.

[spazsinbad]

Mixed 'Jensen' with "Johnston" - they all look the same to me.

Defence will get funds, Libs vow 30 Apr 2013 Cameron Stewart

"DEFENCE and national security policy is in crisis because unfunded promises, delayed capability and chronic mismanagement have created an "irresponsible and dangerous" outlook, opposition [Liberal] defence spokesman David Johnston has warned.

In a speech to the Lowy Institute late yesterday, Senator Johnston promised an Abbott government would align defence policy with funding, something he said the Gillard government had failed to do. "My mantra is to under-promise and over-deliver," he said.

His comments come ahead of the expected imminent release of the government's defence white paper, which will promise substantial new spending commitments, including the likely purchase of more F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter bombers and a fourth air warfare destroyer....

...The Weekend Australian revealed on Saturday that the defence white paper would be released before next month's budget and was likely to include more than $200 billion of promised new equipment including more Super Hornets and a fourth air warfare destroyer....

...Senator Johnston gave strong support to the beleaguered Joint Strike Fighter, which has suffered schedule and cost blowouts, and criticised the government for delaying its purchase decisions in relation to the plane. "It's a vital major project and a great feather in (former defence minister) Robert Hill's [former Liberal DefMin] cap for having this strategic foresight more than 10 years ago," he said."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... 6631859535

[spazsinbad]

OzLanders will know Anna?

VIDEO: [Centrifuge] Training for supersonic speed 28 Apr 2013

http://edition.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c1 ... ic-jet.cnn

"CNN’s Anna Coren trains to fly the KAI T-50 in the first of two special reports."

[spazsinbad]

Australia to back F-35 buy in new defence blueprint 02 May 2013 By Andrea Shalal-Esa and Rob Taylor

"WASHINGTON/CANBERRA, May 2 (Reuters) - Australia's government is expected to affirm plans to buy up to 100 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets, according to a defense blueprint to be released on Friday, easing concerns hanging over the future of the controversial stealth fighter.

The Australian plan, as outlined by defense sources and analysts, will also call for the purchase of a dozen Boeing Co EA-18G electronic attack planes, modified versions of Boeing's Super Hornets, purchased as a stopgap for the F-35.

It reinforces positive steps for the F-35, coming on the heels of a decision by Norway to buy six F-35s a year earlier than planned, and the Dutch parliament's decision not to reassess F-35 rivals to replace aging F-16s....

...Singapore is likely to order 12 jets, with an option for eight more, according to sources familiar with the plans. Sixty jets are at stake in South Korea's competition, which has pitted the F-35 against Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle and the Eurofighter Typhoon built by EADS, BAE Systems Plc and Finmeccanica SpA....

...The target of up to 100 F-35s in the Australian blueprint is likely be couched as "aspirational", subject to economic conditions, defense sources and analysts said.

AUSTRALIAN F/A-18S
The paper is expected to scale back a $275 billion weapons buying plan released in 2009, but proceed with the purchase of a dozen new Boeing EA-18G "Growlers," advanced electronic attack planes, a capability first for a U.S. ally in Asia.

Canberra's future frontline air fleet would have up to 100 F-35s and 36 Super Hornets, counting the radar-jamming Growlers, and make Australia's air force one of the region's most potent.

Australia had planned to retrofit a dozen Super Hornets with the electronic attack capabilities, but has now decided to buy new Growlers, said two sources who were not authorized to speak on the record.

The Boeing buy, reduced to 12 from 24 planes, had threatened to scale back Canberra's F-35 purchase. Boeing is expected to continue pushing the Super Hornet as a more affordable alternative, particularly if any new F-35 crises emerge.

"Just wait until the slightest hiccup with the F-35, and the Boeing people will be there making their argument," one source said.

U.S. Navy Captain Frank Morley last month said Australia would decide by late spring or early summer whether to buy 12 or 24 of the Boeing planes. Even a 12-plane buy would extend the Boeing production line well into 2016, he said.

Australia decided to stick with the F-35, heartened by recent progress on the plane and its high-tech helmet that fuses all the sensor data from the plane, said three sources familiar with the plan.

Australia's first two F-35s are due to be delivered in 2014-15. It has so far only committed to buying 14 F-35s...."

http://www.lse.co.uk/macroeconomicNews. ... _blueprint

[neurotech]

Met with both AVM Osley (head of NACC) and Lt Gen Bogdan in the last few days. Two pertinent bits of news from these meetings is that of the 3 options given to Govt (and incidentally also to Oppostion) for new fighters, every one has F-35s in it, and Lt Gen Bogdan has briefed Minister Smith and confirmed that he will be able to deliver F-35s to Australia well in the timetable demanded for new fighters.

Did Gen. Bogdan seem to live up to his reputation? Calm demeanor but known for being direct and straight talking in getting his point across.. Apparently, people actually refer to him as "the sheriff" but I'm not sure what his actual pilots callsign is.

[spazsinbad]

Australian Defence Force to get new jets, patrol boats 03 May 2013 Lanai Scarr

" AUSTRALIA will purchase 12 new electronic warfare fighter planes to cover the delays in the Joint Strike Fighter project, Julia Gillard has announced.

The Prime Minister this morning unveiled the 2013 Defence White Paper and said $1.5 billion would be allocated over four years to make the aircraft purchases.

Ms Gillard said the JSF program had experienced cost overruns and delays and in order to cover the gap in capability 12 Grow[l]er aircraft would be added to Australia's fleet.

The Prime Minister made the announcement along with Defence Minister Stephen Smith who said Australia would be ''the only country outside of the US'' to have access to the Growler planes - an electronic version of the super hornet.

Last year it was announced in the budget that 12 of the first 14 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters would be delayed by two years, creating a potential gap in Australia's air force capability.

The first three of the JSF fleet are now not expected to arrive in Australia until 2020.

''Defence remains committed to the JSF program and anticipate its delivery,'' Ms Gillard said...."

http://www.news.com.au/national-news/fe ... 6634494277

[gtx]

More :

Prime Minister and Minister for Defence – Joint Media Release – 2013 Defence White Paper: Air Combat Capability

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for Defence Stephen Smith today announced the steps the Government has taken to strengthen Australia’s air combat capability.

The 2013 Defence White Paper highlights the strategic importance of a potent and flexible air combat capability to control Australia’s air approaches and support operations in the land, sea and air environments.

Emerging advanced air combat and air defence capabilities within the region, together with the proliferation of modern electronic warfare systems, will make the air combat tasks of controlling the air, conducting strike and supporting land and naval forces increasingly challenging.

Australia’s air combat capability is a vital part of our national security framework and the Government will not allow a gap in our air combat capability to occur.

As a prudent measure to assure Australia’s air combat capability through the transition period to the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the Government has decided to retain the current 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets (one operational squadron) in their current air combat and strike capability configuration.

The Government has also decided to acquire 12 new-build EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft instead of converting 12 of Australia’s existing F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft into the Growler configuration. 12 Growler aircraft will enhance significantly the ADF’s electronic warfare capability and, together with the JSF and the Super Hornet, will form a formidable air combat force capable of controlling both the air and electronic environments.

A decision on replacing the Super Hornets with additional JSF aircraft will be made closer to the withdrawal of the Super Hornets, which is not expected until around 2030.

The 2009 Defence White Paper outlined the Government’s commitment to acquire JSF and announced approval for the purchase of the first 14 JSF aircraft at a cost of around $3.2 billion. Of these, Australia is contractually committed to two, which will be delivered in the course of 2014 to 2015 in the United States for testing and training purposes.

Due to challenges and delays within the JSF Program, the United States restructured the JSF Program last year, deferring the acquisition of 179 aircraft and providing US$15 billion less in funding over the next five years. Australia aligned itself to this schedule in the 2012-13 Budget. While the US remains committed to the JSF, procurement has been slowed to complete more testing and make developmental changes before the purchase of aircraft in significant quantities.

The Government remains committed to acquiring the fifth-generation JSF aircraft, with three operational squadrons planned to enter service beginning around 2020 to replace the F/A-18A/B Hornet aircraft.

Australia’s Super Hornet aircraft, the delivery of the Growler electronic attack aircraft and the supporting KC-30A air-to-air refuelling aircraft will ensure the continued potency of Australia’s air combat system in projecting decisive air power in the defence of Australia and its interests.

In brief, the Government anounced that there would be no change to the extant F-35 timeline, and that the first squadron of F-35s will be in Australia in 2020 and that the three operational squadrons of F-35s would replace the F-18A/B fleet.

The Prime Minister reiterated that Australia was committed to the F-35. Minister Smith, in response to questions, stated that they now had greater confidence in the JSF Program after the recent restructure under the leadership of VADM Venlet and LTG Chris Bogdan.

[gtx]

Met with both AVM Osley (head of NACC) and Lt Gen Bogdan in the last few days. Two pertinent bits of news from these meetings is that of the 3 options given to Govt (and incidentally also to Oppostion) for new fighters, every one has F-35s in it, and Lt Gen Bogdan has briefed Minister Smith and confirmed that he will be able to deliver F-35s to Australia well in the timetable demanded for new fighters.

Did Gen. Bogdan seem to live up to his reputation? Calm demeanor but known for being direct and straight talking in getting his point across.. Apparently, people actually refer to him as "the sheriff" but I'm not sure what his actual pilots callsign is.

Yep, that sums him up. I found him very likeable.

[spazsinbad]

As I mentioned earlier from his appearances on Oz TV (including long interview) Bogdan comes across as someone who is able to explain complicated stuff so that everyone understands and HE MEANS BUSINESS.

Now more YadaYada.... + Question about Dutchlanders....

Australian military to boost air power to focus on Indo-Pacific 03 May 2013 By James Grubel

"...Canberra's decision reinforces positive steps for the F-35, coming on the heels of a decision by Norway to buy six F-35s a year earlier than planned, and the Dutch parliament's decision not to reassess F-35 rivals to replace aging F-16s,[did that decision wash over me?] despite cost overruns and development delays.

Australia's first two F-35s are due to be delivered in the United States in 2014-15. Australia will initially buy 14 F-35s, building up to three operational squadrons, of around 75 planes. The first squadron is due in service from around 2020.

The decision to stick with the F-35 will give Australia a mixed fleet of Super Hornets, Growlers and the new stealth fighters, matching the U.S. navy capability until at least 2030, Smith said.

The government also holds the option of buying a further 25 F-35s after 2030, to replace the Super Hornets when they are withdrawn from service, bringing the total of F-35s to 100...."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/australian-mil ... ml#UIseDDJ

[spazsinbad]

Oz White Paper May 2013: http://www.defence.gov.au/whitepaper201 ... 13_web.pdf (2.7Mb)

[spazsinbad]

TRANSCRIPT: SPEECH AT THE LAUNCH OF THE 2013 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER TRANSCRIPTION: PROOF COPY E & OE
DATE: 3 May 2013

"STEPHEN SMITH:... Firstly, air combat capability. The Government has made it clear for a number of years that we will not allow a gap to occur in our air combat capability or superiority in our immediate region. We currently have 71 Classic Hornets which are ageing, 24 Super Hornets, and the Government today announces that it will purchase 12 new Growler aircraft. The electronic air warfare combat capability. Potentially, the most significant capability we've purchased since the F-111.

There's no change to our Joint Strike Fighter timetable as published in last year's budget, which reflects and replicates the timetable for the United States' Joint Strike Fighter project. And we expect to see, on the basis of no further delays in that project, the first of our three squadrons arrive in 2020, with two planes being handed over to us for training purposes in the United States in 2014-2015.

This will give us a mixed fleet of 12 Growlers, 24 Super Hornets, and over time into the 2030s, 72 Joint Strike Fighters. In the 2030s, the Government of the day will be able to make a decision whether the 24 Super Hornets can be replaced by Joint Strike Fighters. But in the end, we have always said that to maintain our air combat capability and superiority, we need to draw from a fleet of about 100. That remains the case.

The Growler, as I say, is a very effective air electronic warfare capability, we'll be the only country other than the United States to have that. It will be effective either with Classic Hornets, with Super Hornets, or with the Joint Strike Fighter...."

http://www.noodls.com/viewNoodl/1847242 ... of-the-201

[spazsinbad]

Australia to Buy 12 Boeing Electronic Warfare Aircraft 04 May 2013 By Rich Smith

"...Up until now, the plan had been for the Royal Australian Air Force to convert 12 of its Boeing F/A-18F "Super Hornet" fighter jets into EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare planes, and then spend $3.2 billion to buy 14 new F-35s to replace the converted fighters. However, sequester-related plans in the U.S. to reduce F-35 production mean Australia may not get the F-35s it wants, as quickly as it wants. [WHAT?! TOTAL B/S]

To hedge against continued delays, therefore, the RAAF has decided to leave its F-18s alone for the time being, and buy 12 new Growlers to provide the electronic warfare capability it needs. The purchase price has yet been settled, but news reports say the cost could be around $1.5 billion...."

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2 ... rfare.aspx

[spazsinbad]

CHECK THE OZ ACCENTS IN THE VIDEO ON THIS PAGE....

JSFs, submarines still in government's plans 03 May 2013 David Wroe

"Australia is sticking to ambitious plans to beef up its defence capabilities with cutting-edge Joint Strike Fighters, 12 new submarines and "Growler" warfare electronic technology, despite questions about the government's long-term ability to fund the plans....

...The white paper, released in Canberra this morning by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defence Minister Stephen Smith, outlays plans to buy 12 new Superhornet fighter planes equipped with "Growler" technology that can knock out an enemy's communications and electronic capabilities over a wide area.

This purchase means Australia's existing 24 Superhornets can stay in service as fighter planes. The government plans to begin flying three operational squadrons of the fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighters – about 72 planes in total – from 2020.

The previous 2009 white paper forecast a purchase of 100 Joint Strike Fighters. Mr Smith said on Friday the government would hold off for now on deciding whether to buy a fourth squadron of JSFs when the current Superhornets are ready for retirement...."

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political ... 7556749753

[gtx]

However, sequester-related plans in the U.S. to reduce F-35 production mean Australia may not get the F-35s it wants, as quickly as it wants. [WHAT?! TOTAL B/S]

Just shows how people either don't understand or twist issues to suit themselves.

[gtx]

equipped with "Growler" technology

That could be read in a totally different way...