Forum: Program and politics

As I said the RAAF have made statements ("As much as the RAAF claim" indeed). I'm not sure you understand that US State Department permission was required by New Zealand to sell their Skyhawks to only those approved. That permission to sell was not granted for about 9 years of the 10 year saga and then when it was, as you say, the only interested buyer could not get the money to proceed with the sale.

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They can make public statements saying they only want F-35 fighter force, but doesn't mean its going to happen.
With the F-35 delay to 2019, there is room in the budget for extra F/A-18F aircraft using the savings.

Did it take 9 years to get permission to sell them to JDI Holdings? or was it 9 years of deals fell through before this?

I agree that future events don't always co-incide with statements made today but give us a break.

'neurotech' Q: "Did it take 9 years to get permission to sell them to JDI Holdings?". An initial US buyer was found some years into the process but because permission to sell the A-4Ks was not given until late 2009 that buyer was not able to raise finance in recent/current depressed market. Then the aircraft were either given to museums [an ex-TA4G/TA-4K is currently being remodelled and repainted for display at the RAN Museum at NAS Nowra (FAAM)] with the remainder being sold to the only bidder I believe. The original intending buyer was no longer in the picture I'm told.

Skyhawk sale to US looms 8 Oct 2009 By TRACY WATKINS - The Dominion Post

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politic ... o-US-looms

"The covers could finally be lifted on New Zealand's mothballed Skyhawk fleet, with a sale imminent more than four years after it was first trumpeted.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp confirmed last night the sale had finally got the green light from the United States Government and it was now a case of concluding a sale and purchase agreement.

The sale of the Skyhawks to Arizona-based Tactical Air Services was announced in 2005 but has been stalled by the need to get US approval...."

Nine Skyhawks heading to museums – Wednesday April 6, 2011

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=10717541

“The decade-long saga of the Royal New Zealand Air Force's 17 mothballed Skyhawk fighterbombers has come to an end, with nine being given away to museums and some being sold as spare parts [JDI Holdings eventually]. The Skyhawks had been on the market since 2001,..."

Another overview here: http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-storie ... to-an-end/
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Tender Info: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=10726374
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Nov 2011 story + video:
http://aviationintel.com/2011/11/16/8-n ... s-company/

Thanks for the info on the A-4K. According to the FAA register no A-4K is being flown today.

Australia – EA-18G Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) Aircraft Modification Kits

http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/ ... _12-27.pdf (36Kb)

"WASHINGTON, May 22, 2012 – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia for 12 EA-18G Modification Kits to convert F/A-18F aircrafts to the G configuration and associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $1.7 billion.

The Government of Australia has requested a possible sale of 12 EA-18G Modification Kits to convert F/A-18F aircrafts to G configuration, (34) AN/ALQ-99F(V) Tactical Jamming System Pods, (22) CN-1717/A Interference Cancellation Systems (INCANS), (22) R-2674(C)/A Joint Tactical Terminal Receiver (JTTR) Systems, (30) LAU-118 Guided Missile Launchers, Command Launch Computer (CLC) for High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) and Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government (USG) and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated cost is $1.7 billion...."

spazsinbad wrote:

Australia – EA-18G Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) Aircraft Modification Kits

http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/ ... _12-27.pdf (36Kb)

"WASHINGTON, May 22, 2012 – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia for 12 EA-18G Modification Kits to convert F/A-18F aircrafts to the G configuration and associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $1.7 billion.

The Government of Australia has requested a possible sale of 12 EA-18G Modification Kits to convert F/A-18F aircrafts to G configuration, (34) AN/ALQ- 899F(V) Tactical Jamming System Pods, (22) CN-1717/A Interference Cancellation Systems (INCANS), (22) R-2674(C)/A Joint Tactical Terminal Receiver (JTTR) Systems, (30) LAU-118 Guided Missile Launchers, Command Launch Computer (CLC) for High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) and Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government (USG) and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated cost is $1.7 billion...."

That's a lot of EW kit for 12 Growlers.. or are they usually configured with multiple jamming pods, for instance?

Last edited by spazsinbad on May 23, 2012 - 10:26 AM; edited 7 times in total

A PDF at Scribd has an article 'Jammer Next' in 'Avionics' Magazine Sept 2010 with low quality graphic as shown from:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/37007002/Avio ... ember-2010 [Perhaps there is a better graphic out there]

Caption: "Components of the electronic attack suite of the EA-18G Growler include Northrop Grumman ALQ-218 Tactical Jamming Receiver, Raytheon ALQ-227 Communications Countermeasures Set and ITT Interference Cancellation System. NextGen Jammer is being developed to replace the ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System, contained in underwing pods. First ALQ-99 entered service in 1971."
___________

EA-18G Program: The USA’s Electronic Growler Feb 06, 2012

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/ea1 ... ler-02427/

"...The EA-18 is more than 90% common with the standard F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, sharing its airframe, AN/APG-79 AESA radar, AN/AYK-22 stores management system, and weapons options. The exception is the Super Hornet’s 20mm Vulcan gatling gun, which has been removed from the nose in favor of electrical equipment.

Additional electrical equipment is added throughout the airframe, and Raytheon’s internally-mounted AN/ALQ-227 communication countermeasures system uses a dedicated, omni-directional antenna for signals detection, analysis, and recording. That system works with the plane’s AN/ALQ-99 high and low-band jamming pods, in order to perform complex jamming tasks. Northrop Grumman’s ALQ-218v2 is a digital wideband radio frequency receiver, with selective jamming and geo-location capabilities. It currently equips the EA-18G’s wingtip pods.

The use of pods comes with certain penalties. The increased drag of the external pods, coupled with the shorter range of the F/A-18 E/F base platform vis-a-vis the A-6 it replaces, means that external fuel tanks will be needed. The presence of those fuel tanks on the aircraft’s “wet” pylons, and of the pods on its wingtips and underwing pylons, doesn’t leave much space for other weapons. Despite these limitations, Growlers will be more capable of aerial self-defense than their predecessors. EA-18Gs will typically be armed with a pair of AIM-120 AMRAAM medium range air-air missiles mounted under the engine intakes, and another pair of AGM-88 HARM (High Speed Anti-Radiation) or AGM-88E AARGM (Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided) missiles on underwing stations for destroying enemy radar sites.

Boeing has also surveyed future users of the EA-18G “Growlers” to find out what upgrades they might like to see after the US Navy starts fielding the EA-18G. While the AN/ALQ-99 radar jamming pod has received positive reviews, and will be a critical component of the EA-18G’s initial kit, reports consistently cite it as a maintenance and reliability problem. The US Navy’s EA-18G program manager has said that it might eventually have to be replaced, and the USA’s Next-Generation Jammer program is already in motion to do just that. The EA-18 program is also exploring adding more weapon types and replacing the satellite communications receiver, as part of the budget planning process.

Meanwhile, exports beckon. That would be something of a departure, as the USA has traditionally been the only country to field tactical electronic attack aircraft. As anti-aircraft missiles on the global market become more and more sophisticated, serious players are going to need this kind of capability. The ALQ-99 radar jamming pod is still considered too secret to export, however, so “EA-18 Lite” export versions would reply on the ALQ-218 wingtip pods, and the internally-mounted ALQ-227 system. The APG-79 AESA radar that equips all EA-18Gs could also be used as a jammer, if future software development is forthcoming along those lines. Even so, the removal of the ALQ-99 removes the plane’s most advanced jamming, unless ECM pods from other global sources could be integrated instead, or unless America relents and allows ALQ-99 exports, after fielding its future Next Generation Jammer.

The resulting “EA-18 Lite” combination would be a stronger SEAD (suppression of enemy air defenses) option than the F/A-18F, with more range and available weapons than a full EA-18G, but less jamming than the full EA-18G, and less stealth than the F-35A. EA-18 Lites would be able to identify and geo-locate enemy radars, for instance, and immediately target them with GPS-enabled anti-radar missiles like AARGM. Jamming in low-intensity environments, such as the use of EA-6B Prowlers in Iraq to jam enemy land mine detonation frequencies over key convoys, would also be possible.

Australia has taken initial steps toward buying this EA-18 variant. Their contract specified that 12 of its 24 new F/A-18Fs would have all of the internal modifications required to become an EA-18, if the right equipment is added. The availability of this unique option may yet entice other potential Super Hornet customers to pick Boeing’s plane...."

Much more at the URL Url url.... http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/i ... ems_lg.jpg
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http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/i ... ide_lg.jpg
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http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/i ... off_lg.jpg

3 jammers per aircraft.

munny wrote:

3 jammers per aircraft.

I see ALQ-99 HIGH BAND, LOW BAND and a third pod under the starboard wing but unlabeled.. any idea what it does?

munny wrote:

3 jammers per aircraft.

I see ALQ-99 HIGH BAND, LOW BAND and a third pod under the starboard wing but unlabeled.. any idea what it does?

The centerline pod is Low-Band and "both" underwing pods are High-Band.

'popcorn' do you refer to the inboard station? My guess these are large fuel drop tanks. There is a 'Growler NATOPS' at same site as this PDF where the diagram comes. I'll check that out. Now attached. Plus FUEL that indicates only one capacity 480 gallon fuel drop tank carried.

http://info.publicintelligence.net/F18-EF-000.pdf (19Mb)
FROM:
http://publicintelligence.net/u-s-navy- ... t-manuals/

PRELIMINARY NATOPS FLIGHT MANUAL NAVY MODEL EA-18G 166855 AND UP AIRCRAFT A1-E18GA-NFM-000 862 pages May 15, 2008 Download (21.53 MB)

http://info.publicintelligence.net/E18-G-000.pdf

spazsinbad wrote:

'popcorn' do you refer to the inboard station? My guess these are large fuel drop tanks. There is a 'Growler NATOPS' at same site as this PDF where the diagram comes. I'll check that out. Now attached. Plus FUEL that indicates only one capacity 480 gallon fuel drop tank carried.

http://info.publicintelligence.net/F18-EF-000.pdf (19Mb)
FROM:
http://publicintelligence.net/u-s-navy- ... t-manuals/

PRELIMINARY NATOPS FLIGHT MANUAL NAVY MODEL EA-18G 166855 AND UP AIRCRAFT A1-E18GA-NFM-000 862 pages May 15, 2008 Download (21.53 MB)

I'llhttp://info.publicintelligence.net/E18-G-000.pdf

Spud,cleaned it up for me, it's a second ALQ-99 pod providing high band jamming for the starboard side.

FWIW....

House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Report Notes FY13 May 22, 2012

http://www.informationdissemination.net ... tions.html

"...Navy | Naval Aviation
EA–18G Electronic Attack Aircraft
The Department of the Navy has accomplished the Nation’s airborne electronic attack (AEA) mission for the Department of Defense for several years. This mission has largely been performed with the EA–6B Prowler aircraft flown by the Navy and Marine Corps. The mission is currently transitioning to the EA–18G Growler aircraft (a variant of the F/A–18 aircraft) as the Prowler aircraft age and are retired. There are currently 19 airborne electronic attack squadrons in the Department of the Navy, however, only 15 Growler squadrons are planned. This is due to the fact that the Marine Corps will not fly the Growler aircraft but intends to move away from dedicated airborne electronic attack squadrons and shift to an organic capability using electronic warfare payloads such as Intrepid Tiger and the inherent capabilities within the F–35 aircraft. Although this approach is envisioned to satisfy the requirements of the Marine Corps, the Committee is concerned about the reduced AEA capability for the Nation at large. The Prowler aircraft (and the compatible AEA mission) has been a high demand, low density platform since the days of Desert Storm and is expected to continue as such. Accordingly, the recommendation provides $45,000,000 above the request for the advance procurement of materials for the construction of 15 additional EA–18G aircraft in fiscal year 2014 to preserve the option of increasing the quantity of this vital aircraft.

This is just smart. It is my belief the EA-18G is the best aircraft on the planet being built today..."

For 'neurotech' some Israeli Skyhawk news:

44 Skyhawks For Sale 27/11/2012

http://www.israeldefense.com/?CategoryI ... cleID=1788

“Israel's Ministry of Defense is attempting to sell the IAF’s fleet of Skyhawk aircraft in light of the acquisition of the new Italian trainer aircraft.

The SIBAT department of the Israeli Ministry of Defense is calling defense entities, militaries and countries from around the world and inviting them to acquire the fleet of Skyhawk aircraft which have been in IDF service since the 1960s.

The Skyhawk was the first fighter aircraft that the United States agreed to sell to Israel, and the Israeli Air Force began using the aircraft in 1967. Today, the aircraft are used for combat training and instruction in the framework of the IAF’s flight course, and the sale comes as part of the preparation for when the IAF receives the new Italian M-346 trainer aircraft.

During the recent operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza, the IAF used the Skyhawk aircraft for casting notices above the Gaza Strip. The Ministry of Defense is interested in selling the 44 Skyhawk aircraft for several dozen millions of US dollars. The aircraft is expected to be taken out of service in the coming year. If there is no response in the next five years, the aircraft will apparently be transferred for scrapping.”

Forum: Program and politics

Australia delays delivery of 12 F-35 fighters