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> Romeo about to romance the Navy
Dave Masterson
Posted: May 20 2013, 04:23 PM
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THE first of 24 new Seahawk Romeo helicopters being built for the Royal Australian Navy to be based at HMAS Albatross is almost complete.

Aircraft one is on the final assembly line where engines, gearboxes and cockpit equipment are being fitted.

All up four MH-60R (Romeo) aircraft are under construction at various stages.

Each helicopter will take 14 months to manufacture from when construction starts on the airframe to when the fit-out is completed.

Construction is undertaken in three states of the US, with the multi-billion dollar contract seeing aircraft assembled in three phases starting in Troy in Alabama and then being trucked by road to Stratford in Connecticut.

The helicopters are being manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Lockheed Martin.

Air 9000 Phase 8 resident project team leader Commander Nyree Cornelius was the first RAN member to see the Romeo in production.

“Seeing them in person really struck home how real and how close we are to this new capability being realised,” CMDR Cornelius said.

The first two helicopters are expected to be accepted by the RAN in December, and enter initial service early next year.

“Inspecting the first RAN Romeo on completion of its first stage of production is a memory I will no doubt treasure for years to come,” CMDR Cornelius said.


The first RAN aircraft will be the 168th Romeo to be manufactured and will be known as N48-001 once in service.

Project Air 9000 Phase 8 was approved by the government in June 2011 at a cost of $3.2 billion.

The project will acquire 24 Romeos, a range of training devices and mission support systems.

This post has been edited by Dave Masterson on May 20 2013, 04:23 PM
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Warhawk
  Posted: Jun 10 2013, 11:30 AM
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Do we know the Bu No of the 25th Airframe, ala "Bromeo" yet? and when it will be delivered?

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Gordy
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Dave Masterson
Posted: Jun 10 2013, 12:39 PM
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This in from the Nowra news

AFTER nine weeks of accelerated study in Florida, the first Australians are now qualified to operate the MH-60R naval combat helicopter.

Lieutenant Commander Simon Lam and Joshua Carey, together with Lieutenant Timothy Clerke from HMAS Albatross, form the MH-60R test team embedded into Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) to support the introduction of the MH-60R.

Lieutenant Commander Lam and Carey recently completed their MH-60R Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardisation (NATOPS) program with Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 40, at the Mayport Naval Station.

The pair started their training with other aircrew in early March and after a steep learning curve of computer-based education, simulators and flights, completed their final evaluation on May 15.

LCDR Lam said the highlight of training had been exposure to the modern digital cockpit and the new advanced mission systems focused on the battle space.

“New systems such as data fusion, ISAR radar and Link 16 will enhance aircrew and ultimately the operations room’s situational awareness,” he said.

“Significantly, the reintroduction of the dipping sonar to anti-submarine warfare operations will provide a new and improved capability to the RAN.”

The highlight of training for LCDR Carey was the interaction with US Navy flying instructors and the opportunity to work with them during flying training.

“Every single US instructor was 100 per cent invested in achieving our aim of being qualified,” LCDR Carey said.

“As always, I was impressed with the professionalism, dedication and pure aviation skill that I witnessed throughout my training.”

Both students were impressed at the rate their training progressed, which included up to four simulator or flight events a week.

The squadron’s training program operated seven days a week, which meant they were able to provide up to 20 training flights a day.

Even with NATOPS behind them, the learning doesn’t stop.

The team will soon relocate to Patuxent River in Maryland, south of Washington DC and the heartland of the US Navy’s test community.

They will join US Navy test squadron HX 21 to support testing of the Australian configured MH-60R, with the aim of delivering the first Australian aircraft in December this year.
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Martin Edwards
Posted: Jul 3 2013, 08:22 PM
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Here is N48-001

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F/A-18 Super Bug
Posted: Jul 4 2013, 08:36 AM
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Any idea which warship the first Romeo gets attached to?
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Michael Louey
Posted: Jul 4 2013, 10:43 AM
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A link to more info about the first test flight of N48-001 courtesy of the guys at AMI:

http://news.navy.gov.au/en/Jul2013/Fleet/7...irst-flight.htm
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Michael

This post has been edited by Michael Louey on Jul 4 2013, 10:44 AM
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F/A-18 Super Bug
Posted: Jul 4 2013, 02:19 PM
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Oh so they're going straight to the Anzac Class frigates first.

I still can't see where the Ariel torpedoes are fixed on the airframe? Must be under the base according to this photo.

(IMG:http://www.mh-60.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/MH-60R_missile-640.jpg)
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Martin Edwards
Posted: Jul 4 2013, 02:53 PM
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I imagine in the same location as present Seahawks

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F/A-18 Super Bug
Posted: Jul 4 2013, 03:19 PM
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Thanks Martin,

I when through Google images for a while and couldn't find one attached.

Cheers.
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Grumpy Cobra
Posted: Sep 6 2013, 04:15 PM
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I read with interest that the US Navy is planning to fit by 2014 their Romeos with
two 19 tube LAU-61G/A Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets - I would hope in time the RAN adopts both unguided and these APKWS guided rockets for our Romeos in addition to the more expensive hellfires!
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Martin Edwards
Posted: Mar 11 2014, 02:08 PM
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The RAN is to get a Seahawk ''Bromeo''
This is a SH-60B (Bravo) helicopter airframe, similar to those operated by 816 SQN, and was re-manufactured into an MH-60R as a prototype.
It is a fully functional but non-flying training aid.
See http://news.navy.gov.au/en/Mar2014/Fleet/894#.Ux5-HunNuM8
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Luig
Posted: Mar 12 2014, 03:25 AM
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Someone had to put bromide in its tea. :D
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Warhawk
  Posted: Mar 12 2014, 12:05 PM
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I asked about this in Sept per Romeo romances the navy string

"
Posted: Jun 10 2013, 11:30 AM


Do we know the Bu No of the 25th Airframe, ala "Bromeo" yet? and when it will be delivered?

Have we a BuNo? Only about 7 or so were remanufactured

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Gordy


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Martin Edwards
Posted: Mar 12 2014, 02:10 PM
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So you did Gordy,, my apologies. I have merged these two topics.
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Warhawk
  Posted: Mar 28 2014, 11:25 AM
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Romeos #3 and 4 flown and delivered to be equipped with Radar/electronics etc on the 24th February 14

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Gordy
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Warhawk
  Posted: Sep 8 2014, 07:29 PM
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Oi,

That #25 MH-60R Training Airframe,.per RANFAA Bromeo identity

That wouldn't be Bu No 166402 (c/n 70-0388)? Ex SH-60B Bu No 162098

Historically the first MH-60R and First Flight: 5th August 2005

Typical. always get the oldest! :)

One of five stored there

Arrived AMARC 09/08/10 (ex HSM-41 NAS North Island California), withdrawn from AMARC Storage 27/01/14 (Park#AN1M0015) and transported by Surface to somewhere?

Others are: 166404/166406/166407/166408

Checking Joe's site,...on the money,... since there were only single digit rebuilds

166402/166408 Sikorsky SH-60B converted to MH-60R.

166402 with HSM-41 at NAS North Island in 2010
166404 with HSM-41 at NAS North Island in 2010
166406 with HSM-41 at NAS North Island in 2010
166407 with HSM-41 at NAS North Island in 2010
166408 with HSM-41 at NAS North Island in 2010
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Brendan Cowan
Posted: Sep 25 2014, 01:43 PM
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Thanks Gordy,

I've updated the N48 MH-60R Seahawk Romeo to cover the Bromeo with this info and a few extra details.

Cheers

Brendan

(IMG:http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/albums/uploaded/Bromeo_166402_TS_400.sized.jpg)
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Luig
Posted: Sep 26 2014, 04:51 AM
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An early morning heart starter. I'll gather that the arrangement in RAN Romeos has the only pilot flying all the time who will not be distracted because the TACCO Observer will be dealing with all the tactics whilst the pilot just flies.

Out For a Dip - Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Submarines BY LT ROBERT CROSBY AND AWR2 MATTHEW BALLARD
Approach [USN Flight Safety Magazine] September-October 2014
QUOTE
“It was the second launch of the night. Our crew of three had already shut down once after a frustrating three-hour flight without gaining contact on the OPFOR submarine participating in Carrier Strike Group Two’s COMPTUEX. When the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), part of our strike group, received possible contacts, we got the call to launch the alert anti-submarine-warfare (ASW) helicopter and give it another go. It was now 2:30 a.m. and our NVGs strained to provide us a picture. The only illumination to be found was from the position lights of passing ships.

When we got to the position of last known contact on the sub, we fired off sonobuoys into a search pattern. After finding what could be our target, we decided to unleash the MH-60 Romeo’s dipping sonar. With the help of one of our squadron’s other helicopters, which had just arrived on the scene, we began to carry out a simulated attack.

We made an automatic approach to a 70-foot hover into the wind to a position we believed would give us an excellent chance of detecting the target once we lowered our sonar transducer. We were in “the dip,” which can be especially challenging at night without visual cues for positioning and drift.

Five minutes into our dip, we received strong contact that correlated to the area where we believed the submarine was operating. This hit immediately grabbed the attention of all three of us; unfortunately this included the pilot at the controls, who was our helicopter aircraft commander (HAC). The HAC lost focus on flying as she watched over my shoulder while we refined the track. This drop of scan led to an undetected aft drift and yaw out of the windline.

AWR2 Ballard was the first to notice our situation. The system protested with multiple advisories due to the fact that we were no longer hovering directly over the transducer. He asked from the back, “Is everything all right up there?”

I turned my attention to the instruments and saw we were rapidly departing from the proper parameters of a normal dip. The aircraft was about 20 degrees out of the wind line and had developed an aft drift of five knots. The HAC assured us that she had control of the situation. She tried to eliminate the drift and turn the nose back into the wind, but her inputs were not sufficient to stop the developing disaster. Suddenly, our automatic flight control system (AFCS) kicked off, which disabled our altitude hold. We began to rapidly descend toward the water. As my low-altitude warning system began to chime along with AWR2 Ballard’s calls for power, I pulled up on the collective with the HAC.

We arrested our descent at 8 feet over the water.

We rapidly climbed to 300 feet, well above our prescribed dipping altitude of 70 feet. I had to push down on the collective to keep the aircraft from exceeding engine and transmission limits. We momentarily stabilized with our transducer barely in the water. I wasn’t even sure if it was still attached to the cable. I quickly reset our AFCS and enabled altitude hold during our momentary respite. However, the HAC began another aft drift, probably from unrecognized vertigo. With the insistence of AWR2 Ballard, I took controls and stabilized the aircraft. We coordinated to raise our transducer, depart our hover, and return to the carrier, a little shaken.

The first lesson is that during night operations, you should always heed your instruments. In a multi-piloted aircraft like the MH-60R, one of the pilots should
always be focused on flying. There is a huge temptation to focus on the tactical scenario at the expense of maintaining proper control of the aircraft. This temptation needs to be recognized and addressed thoroughly in the mission brief.

The next lesson was in the critical CRM skill of assertiveness. I should have demanded control of the aircraft at the first signs of the HAC’s vertigo, even if
she was not willing to give up control right away. Our AWR2 demonstrated excellent CRM when he alerted us to the problem and added his voice in calling for a swap in controls. If our drift had been caught earlier, we never would have lost our AFCS and would have avoided our close call 8 feet over the water.

CRM is preached during all phases of training and is permanently burned into our memory. On nights like that of our incident, we look back and realize the importance of these proven techniques. Despite our initial CRM breakdowns, our AWR’s assertiveness allowed us to recognize our descent and bring the aircraft back safely.

LT CROSBY AND AWR2 BALLARD FLY WITH HSM-70.”

http://www.public.navy.mil/comnavsafecen/D...014_Sep-Oct.pdf (1.4Mb)

This post has been edited by Luig on Sep 26 2014, 04:57 AM
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Grumpy Cobra
Posted: Oct 15 2014, 07:50 AM
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QUOTE (Grumpy Cobra @ Sep 6 2013, 04:15 PM)
I read with interest that the US Navy is planning to fit by 2014 their Romeos with
two 19 tube LAU-61G/A Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets - I would hope in time the RAN adopts both unguided and these APKWS guided rockets for our Romeos in addition to the more expensive hellfires!

Well now - am I pleased that Defence has heeded some good advice first mooted here over a year ago by yours truly and is at least considering APKWS :D

QUOTE
LASER-GUIDED ROCKET SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATES PRECISION STRIKE CAPABILITY FOR AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCES The Australian Defence Forces recently concluded a highly successful trial of BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS™) laser-guided rocket for use on its Army and Navy helicopters. The ground trial marks the first time the APKWS technology, which transforms a standard unguided 2.75-inch (70-millimeter) rocket into a precision laser-guided weapon, has been demonstrated on a Forges de Zeebrugge (FZ) rocket.

“Through its long track record of success with the U.S. military, the APKWS technology has always been used with a Hydra rocket,” said David Harrold, director of precision guidance solutions at BAE Systems. “This demonstration highlights the unique mid-body design and versatility of the APKWS technology by showcasing the ease of deployment on the FZ rocket and its native launcher.”

During the ground-based live fire event in August, held at the Woomera Prohibited Area test range in South Australia, the APKWS laser-guided technology was on target with all seven shots fired while integrated with the FZ90 rocket motor and warhead. There was no modification required to the guidance kit to integrate with the FZ rocket. Based on the successful test, the Australian Army intends to conduct a live fire flight trial in November that could lead to the APKWS rocket fielding on the Army’s Airbus Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter and Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk platforms beginning in 2015.

Conducted by the Australian Aerospace Operational Support Group, the trial was designed to qualify the APKWS rocket for use by the Australian military to bridge the current capability gap between unguided small-diameter rockets and larger-diameter anti-armor munitions. Unlike other available offerings, the flexibility of the APKWS technology allowed the Australian Defence Force to move from concept to live fire trial in a matter of months while using its current rocket inventory and equipment.

“The APKWS laser-guided rocket is an easy-to-use, cost-effective, and flexible system,” said MAJ David Paterson, Rotary Wing Flight Commander of the Australian Army’s Aircraft Stores Compatibility Engineering Squadron. “Delivering this capability to our troops while leveraging existing equipment is a significant accomplishment that will greatly expand and enhance our military helicopters’ mission success.”

BAE Systems is the prime contractor for the APKWS rocket, which is available to international customers through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. Deployed in combat since 2012 by the U.S. Marine Corps, the APKWS rocket is the U.S. Department of Defense’s only fully qualified guided 2.75-inch rocket that uses semi-active laser guidance technology to strike soft and light armored targets. More information on the APKWS rocket can be found at www.baesystems.com/apkws.
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Luig
Posted: Oct 15 2014, 09:31 AM
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via Dave Masterson - first Romeo has arrived at NAS Nowra:

The birds come home to roost By ROBERT CRAWFORD Oct. 14, 2014
QUOTE
"THE first of 24 new Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk Romeo helicopters to be based at HMAS Albatross has arrived home.

The new generation helicopter was brought back to the naval airbase on-board an Air Force C17.

Unfortunately, Nowra didn’t turn on its best weather for the arrival of the “new bird”, with driving rain and strong winds proving less than welcoming, but Commander of the Fleet Air Arm Commodore Vince Di Pietro said even the “horrible weather” couldn’t dampen what was “a special occasion”.

“This is a great thing for the navy, the Fleet Air Arm and HMAS Albatross,” he said.

“This is truly fantastic. Bloody exciting.

“This aircraft will serve us for the best part of the next three decades and as I have said before there are people who will fly this aircraft whose parents haven’t even met yet.”

The Romeos will form 725 Squadron and are set to be the RAN’s next generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter, and the cornerstone of the navy’s aviation combat capability, carrying both Mk 54 torpedos and Hellfire missiles.

The arrival took on even more significance for Commodore Di Pietro, as he was part of the attache in Washington when discussions were first held in 2008 to purchase the Romeo helicopters.

“We’ve come a long way and here we are the first one home in Australia, it is an exciting day,” he said.

Commodore Di Pietro was like an expectant father as he waited for the first of the helos to be cleared by customs and unloaded.

Once given the OK, he boarded the giant transport plane and inspected the new helicopter.

The first Romeo was joined on the trip from Jacksonville Florida by a B-Romeo, a modified B Seahawk which, although it won’t take to the air, will be used by air crew and maintainers for training purposes.

It is expected to have the Romeo in the air by November, starting air trials, with the next aircraft due back in the country in coming weeks.

The first of the 112 personnel who went to the US for training have also started returning to the base, with the majority expected to be home by Christmas....
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Grumpy Cobra
Posted: Oct 15 2014, 02:33 PM
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Good show wot, within the space of one week DMO takes delivery of LHD "Canned Berry" and first Romeo arrives in Country!

I doubt the new squadron buildings/hangars are complete yet so it may be nesting with 816 Squadron.

The photograph in the above South Coast Reg article conveniently is taken at such an angle that we cannot see if there is number on the nose, hence we cannot tell registration :o come to think of it have we placed numbers on the noses of our Romeos?

This post has been edited by Grumpy Cobra on Oct 15 2014, 02:34 PM
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Luig
Posted: Oct 16 2014, 05:39 AM
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Another story on the guided rockets:

AUSA 2014: BAE Systems watch growing APKWS sales as Australia begins tests 12 Oct 2014 Daniel Wasserbly
QUOTE
"The Australian Defence Forces have trialled BAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided rocket as the company seeks to further expand the systems' international sales.

During Australia's ground trials the APKWS marked its first integration on a Forges de Zeebrugge (FZ) rocket, BAE Systems said in a 13 October announcement at the Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, DC.

APKWS is a semi-active laser guidance kit that the company has integrated with legacy rockets - originally the 2.75 inch (70 mm) Hydra 70 rocket for the US Marine Corps (USMC) - so they can be launched from current airframes and launchers.

According to BAE Systems, "The APKWS laser-guided technology was on target with all seven shots fired while integrated with the FZ90 rocket motor and warhead. There was no modification required to the guidance kit to integrate with the FZ rocket."

The Australian Army is expected to hold live-fire testing in November, and if that is successful the Australians would then consider beginning next year deploying the APKWS for the army's Airbus Helicopter Tiger attack helicopter and the navy's Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk platforms.

APKWS has been used on USMC AH-1W Super Cobra and UH-1Y Viper helicopters with an initial operational capability for the two types first declared in March 2012.

BAE Systems also created an APKWS variant suitable for launching from fixed-wing platforms, and that the US government found to have met performance requirements during testing from the US Air Force's A-10 Thunderbolt II and F-16 Fighting Falcon, as well as the USMC's AV-8B Harrier jump jet.

The US Navy is expected to deploy the APKWS for its MH-60 series maritime helicopters in order to counter small boat swarms...."

http://www.janes.com/article/44367/ausa-20...ia-begins-tests

This post has been edited by Luig on Oct 16 2014, 05:40 AM
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F/A-18 Super Bug
Posted: Nov 17 2014, 02:59 PM
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QUOTE
I doubt the new squadron buildings/hangars are complete yet so it may be nesting with 816 Squadron.


As the security company I work for in Canberra has just got the new contract for the NAS HMAS Albatross I had to drive down there to deliver more Hi Viz tops and other things so I was allowed a full drive around tour of the base including areas off limits to the public. I got within 10 metres of a new Romeo however I wasn't allowed any closer. :angry:

Those Hangers being built for the new Romeos are quite a while off yet from being completed. They are right next to the Raytheon building which is pretty secure and I think makes the missiles?

Also I'm surprised at how many run down rusted buildings still being used on base however slowly but surely they will be knocked down and rebuilt. There are a couple of new residential 4 storey buildings for personnel and others that look like they're out of the 1950s.

The Army I didn't know conducts their parachute training there with a massive tower with a zip line to the ground to first practice your landings before doing the real thing with a landing zone bare area (LZ) also on the base.

I even got to drive the whole length of the runway, to me the NAS seems massive so I can't fathom how big RAAF Amberley is!

Cheers.
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Luig
Posted: Nov 17 2014, 04:19 PM
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Dave keeps an eye on things so here are two recent developments.

Nowra gets first glimpse of Navy's new Romeo Helicopters 14 Nov 2014
QUOTE
"...Three of the Romeos have already landed from the United States, as part of a $3.2 billion acquisition which will deliver another 21 of the aircraft in coming months...."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-14/new-...display/5891076
&
MH-60R Seahawk Romeo makes maiden flight over HMAS Albatross and contracts signed for Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS).
16 Nov 2014 ADAM WRIGHT
QUOTE
"FRIDAY marked two major milestones in the history of HMAS Albatross and the Royal Australian Navy.

The navy’s newest maritime combat helicopter, the MH-60R Seahawk Romeo made its maiden flight over HMAS Albatross, and contracts were signed securing the Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS).

The new helicopters and the HATS are a big deal for the Shoalhaven because of the investment.

The 24 new helicopters represent an investment of more than $3 billion, while the HATS facility comes in at $700 million.

The construction work alone is expected to create 380 jobs, although many of the subcontractors are fighting for payment for work done on new helicopter facilities.

A large crowd was gathered on the hardstand Friday morning to inspect the new Seahawk but all eyes turned to the sky when the old Seahawk and the new Seahawk put on an aerial display...."

http://www.southcoastregister.com.au/story...-have-lift-off/

This post has been edited by Luig on Nov 17 2014, 04:31 PM

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Grumpy Cobra
Posted: Nov 17 2014, 09:42 PM
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No not a new era - more of the same rotary minded...

Not even planning to embark on LHD's in any numbers...

Wot's with the squadron marking - what a load of rubbish ...
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