Australian lawmakers confident in F-35's future

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by Corsair1963 » 28 Jan 2016, 05:50

popcorn wrote:
cosmicdwarf wrote:So...apparently some former RAAF still want to get the F-22 instead of the F-35.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... ee66bc5236

Australia will never achieve regional air superiority with the new Lockheed F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter and should instead look to the US F-22 Raptor, a former RAAF officer says.

Retired Wing Commander Chris Mills said the F-35 was never designed to achieve air superiority and was outclassed by advanced new Russian aircraft entering service in regional air forces.

In a submission to a Greens-instigated Senate inquiry examining acquisition of the F-35, he said the F-22, now in service with the US Air Force, was designed to dominate the skies.

Production of the F-22 ended in 2011 and in any case US law specifically bans exports.

Mr Mills said the answer to providing Australia and other western countries with a superior future air combat capability was to bring the F-22 back into production.

“To those who say it can’t be done, my answer is that USAF has kept all the production tooling with capacity for several hundred new aircraft to be built,” he said.

Aeronautical engineer Danny Nowlan said advances in radar technology would soon erode the F-35’s stealth capability while the aircraft’s basic design was fundamentally broken and couldn’t be fixed.

“The alternative to the F-35 is to restart F-22 Raptor production and for the US Congress to release it for export,” he said.

“When it comes to modern fighters the F-22 Raptor is the platinum standard.” Australia plans to acquire 72 F-35 aircraft and maybe as many as 100. So far just two have been delivered.

The RAAF plans to have its first two F-35 squadrons ready for operations in 2020.

Development of this advanced stealth aircraft has been beset by delays, technical problems and cost increases.

JSF was chosen for the RAAF because of its ability to perform a number of different roles, including bombing missions.

Another former RAAF officer, retired Wing Commander Anthony Wilkinson, a former F-111 navigator, said JSF’s range was too short and its bombload too small for it to be a proper strike aircraft. “I would argue that defence planners have lost the plot,” he said in his submission.


Totally delusional.


That is an understatement... :doh:


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by archeman » 28 Jan 2016, 07:41

cosmicdwarf wrote:So...apparently some former RAAF still want to get the F-22 instead of the F-35.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nationa ... ee66bc5236

Australia will never achieve regional air superiority with the new Lockheed F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter and should instead look to the US F-22 Raptor, a former RAAF officer says.

Retired Wing Commander Chris Mills said the F-35 was never designed to achieve air superiority and was outclassed by advanced new Russian aircraft entering service in regional air forces.

In a submission to a Greens-instigated Senate inquiry examining acquisition of the F-35, he said the F-22, now in service with the US Air Force, was designed to dominate the skies.

Production of the F-22 ended in 2011 and in any case US law specifically bans exports.

Mr Mills said the answer to providing Australia and other western countries with a superior future air combat capability was to bring the F-22 back into production.

“To those who say it can’t be done, my answer is that USAF has kept all the production tooling with capacity for several hundred new aircraft to be built,” he said.

Aeronautical engineer Danny Nowlan said advances in radar technology would soon erode the F-35’s stealth capability while the aircraft’s basic design was fundamentally broken and couldn’t be fixed.

“The alternative to the F-35 is to restart F-22 Raptor production and for the US Congress to release it for export,” he said.

“When it comes to modern fighters the F-22 Raptor is the platinum standard.” Australia plans to acquire 72 F-35 aircraft and maybe as many as 100. So far just two have been delivered.

The RAAF plans to have its first two F-35 squadrons ready for operations in 2020.

Development of this advanced stealth aircraft has been beset by delays, technical problems and cost increases.

JSF was chosen for the RAAF because of its ability to perform a number of different roles, including bombing missions.

Another former RAAF officer, retired Wing Commander Anthony Wilkinson, a former F-111 navigator, said JSF’s range was too short and its bombload too small for it to be a proper strike aircraft. “I would argue that defence planners have lost the plot,” he said in his submission.


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by hornetfinn » 28 Jan 2016, 08:11

Chris Mills:
https://au.linkedin.com/in/chris-mills-94013234
http://goo.gl/buV4AH

So he is representative of Repsim Pty Ltd which is basically APA sideshow. They made the really horrible "simulation" of Su-35S vs. F-35. He might have been involved with RAAF at some point (info about him seems very shady to me) but at least today he doesn't have much credibility to me. Look at LinkedIn endorsers: Eric Palmer, Carlo Kopp...

Danny Nowlan:

https://au.linkedin.com/in/dannynowlan
http://goo.gl/V0gdxz

He obviously has no background in any area regarding electromagnetic spectrum, stealth, radars and sensors in general even though he tries to make the impression . He seems to have fully brainwashed by APA crap. His submission is so full of errors and misunderstandings (or lies) that is mind boggling.


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by spazsinbad » 28 Jan 2016, 09:42

'hornetfinn' said:
"...He [Mills] might have been involved with RAAF at some point (info about him seems very shady to me)..."

No need to worry about the 'shadiness' of Chris Mills. Yes he has all the experience (and more) outlined in that APA Bio, however I'm not going to attempt to fill in any blanks because I'm not that interested. As I have explained Chris is a graduate of the RAAF Academy (then at Point Cook) and on No.67 Pilot Course with me (then an RAN FAA Midshipman). Some of the other RAAF Academy Grads (then Flying Officers whilst the new RAAF pilots were 'Cadet Pilot Officers') went on to lead the initial group selecting the F-35A as an Air Vice Marshal - Conroy was one. Two of them died in crashes early in their careers; about the others I have no idea. A very junior RAAF engineer graduate did not make it to our flying course because he was killed in an RAN Vampire crash during take off from the nearby Point Cook airfield Laverton - before the flying training started beginning of 1968. This crash occurred just as we arrived for ground school late in 1967 at Point Cook. It was only beginning of the Macchi MB326H era at Pearce starting 1969 that the No.1 BFTS/AFTS name was changed from No.1 Beginner/Advanced Flying Training School to whatever.... don't care... something or other. :mrgreen:
"CONROY, Raymond John, AM 1992; b. 19 Jun. 1947 Bowen, Qld; educ. Richmond High Sc, NSW, and Melb. Univ. (B.Sc.); flew Sabres, Mirages and Hornets; CO 75 Sqn 1982-83; CO 3 Sqn 1983-84; grad. Joint Serv. Staff Coll.; OC 81 Wg 1988-90; Dir-Gen. Program Management RAAF 1991-94; Dir-Gen. Aerospace Dev. HQ ADF 1995-98; Head, Systems Acquisitions (Aerospace), Def. Materiel Orgn., 1998-99; Head, Aerospace Systems Div., DMO, 1999-2000 (retd.); Dir. R&D Conroy Pty. Ltd. 2003- " http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Content ... s-A-K.aspx

Chris retired earlier from the RAAF to have some Civvie Jobs and then may have become or was already in RAAF Reserve to carry out a lot of 'Red Air Sim Work'. He wrote for a computer magazine in the early Windows era about Flight Sims and he enabled a wire frame flight model that worked only in DOS on specific graphic cards that was just marvellous. I wish I could still fly it. This is what I wrote about Chris on another forum when he was accused of being a 'zealot'. I see him as I describe and representing his REPSIM Company - rightly or wrongly - again I have no idea...
"Chris was a RAAF Academy Graduate on my No.67 Pilot Course, joining us underlings beginning of 1968 for Basic / Advanced Flying Training. He was noteworthy for being a 'contrarian' - willing to argue anything for the sake of it. This could be fun - however often we required a simple answer and we 'middies and cadets' got used to NOT asking him for any advice/ knowledge (these Academy guys had lots of knowledge from their Academy years we did not). Anyway it never surprised me that Chris will argue and is still arguing - oh well. :-) A good bloke though - if annoying - and of course as smart as & always a big smile. :-) I'm hoping Repsim does well despite the other chaps Michael Price small minded contribution...."

The last time we were all together was Dec 1968 and even then one RAAF cadet pilot was not in the photo but on early leave ('Arnie' Fox). Anyway FlgOff Chris Mills is seated on the far right. Four Midshipman are in the middle and we were awarded 'provisional' wings because according to RN/RAN tradition at least we had to deck land for the first time to have our wings 'confirmed'. This did not occur for me until almost 3 years later - when deck landing for the 1st time in an A4G.
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by hornetfinn » 28 Jan 2016, 11:27

Ok, thank you very much for giving this info spazsinbad! I really wonder what is the motivation for his anti F-35 stuff and how on earth has he done those F-35 vs. Sukhoi videos. Having personally a lot of experience with real military simulations and simulators, those videos are just horrible representation of air combat simulation! Same with his writings in APA etc.


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by spazsinbad » 28 Jan 2016, 11:54

I cannot comment about the REPSIM videos or these REPSIM simulations. I have no experience with them whatsoever, perhaps you can say more about what REPSIM does. Chris has been in the RAAF 'on the other side' for simulation purposes as described. However I can only surmise that he promotes what REPSIM can provide - rightly or wrongly - mistakenly or not - I have no clue.

Chris was on TV a few years back with AVM Criss (rtd) when Criss was bemoaning the loss of the F-111 and saying the Super Hornet was a 'super dog'. He did not say that on this TV show but on radio at about that time 2009? When on TV Criss asked Chris Mills to explain with him about 'going downtown' to Jakarta in an F-111 and Chris Mills was obviously embarrassed. People say and do odd things for sure. I have probably had my own examples over the years. :mrgreen:


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by spazsinbad » 29 Jan 2016, 10:08

REPSIM is now deregistered - probably the reason for bad words from Michael Price of REPSIM in submission 2:
"About REPSIM PTY LTD:

REPSIM PTY LTD's Australian Company Number (ACN) is 13869886 and Australian Business Number (ABN) is 61138698861.
It was registered on 17-06-2014. It's registered address is 2615 ACT.

REPSIM PTY LTD is of Australian Private Company type. Current status of REPSIM PTY LTD is Deregistered"

Source: http://www.allcompanydata.com/au/compan ... 1138698861


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by popcorn » 29 Jan 2016, 10:50

:mrgreen:
spazsinbad wrote:REPSIM is now deregistered - probably the reason for bad words from Michael Price of REPSIM in submission 2:
"About REPSIM PTY LTD:

REPSIM PTY LTD's Australian Company Number (ACN) is 13869886 and Australian Business Number (ABN) is 61138698861.
It was registered on 17-06-2014. It's registered address is 2615 ACT.

REPSIM PTY LTD is of Australian Private Company type. Current status of REPSIM PTY LTD is Deregistered"


Source: http://www.allcompanydata.com/au/compan ... 1138698861


Death Spiral :devil:
"When a fifth-generation fighter meets a fourth-generation fighter—the [latter] dies,”
CSAF Gen. Mark Welsh


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by spazsinbad » 29 Jan 2016, 10:53

I was going to post a link to the CREAM "Pressed Rat & Warthog" had closed down their shop... but then I would have to explain and I don't wanna. :mrgreen:


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by spazsinbad » 30 Jan 2016, 09:23

Two more submissions 8 & 10 (what happened to 9?) http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus ... ubmissions

Only worth looking at for a laugh....


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by cosmicdwarf » 30 Jan 2016, 14:27

10 is so unrealistic.


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by basher54321 » 30 Jan 2016, 15:20

spazsinbad wrote:Two more submissions 8 & 10 (what happened to 9?)
Only worth looking at for a laugh....


Jeez - what next a submission from a Squirrel with a paw print in the shape of an F-35 ( mind you that would be more impressive).


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by optimist » 30 Jan 2016, 16:44

popcorn wrote::mrgreen:
spazsinbad wrote:REPSIM is now deregistered - probably the reason for bad words from Michael Price of REPSIM in submission 2:
"About REPSIM PTY LTD:

REPSIM PTY LTD's Australian Company Number (ACN) is 13869886 and Australian Business Number (ABN) is 61138698861.
It was registered on 17-06-2014. It's registered address is 2615 ACT.

REPSIM PTY LTD is of Australian Private Company type. Current status of REPSIM PTY LTD is Deregistered"


Source: http://www.allcompanydata.com/au/compan ... 1138698861


Death Spiral :devil:

Should this be counted as another kill for the F-35?
Europe's fighters been decided. Not a Eurocanard, it's the F-35 (or insert derogatory term) Count the European countries with it.


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by les_paul59 » 31 Jan 2016, 01:01

The 10th submission is so outrageous, do people really believe if they repeat the fact that the f 22 tooling still exists enough times that the us will suddenly open the line again. Not to mention its currently illegal to export the f 22.....so hypothetically you would have to bribe half of the us congress, and then pay more than half of the production cost up front to get the line going and lets say conservatively 225 million per jet lol. And people say the f 35 is expensive


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by cosmicdwarf » 31 Jan 2016, 02:30

les_paul59 wrote:The 10th submission is so outrageous, do people really believe if they repeat the fact that the f 22 tooling still exists enough times that the us will suddenly open the line again. Not to mention its currently illegal to export the f 22.....so hypothetically you would have to bribe half of the us congress, and then pay more than half of the production cost up front to get the line going and lets say conservatively 225 million per jet lol. And people say the f 35 is expensive

Plus either pay companies to manufacture chips they don't make anymore, or do the R&D to get replacements.


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