How About.......a10cs For The Raaf ?

[Demon50]

Slow days at work and the hot Perth sun has got me thinking again (and probably scrambled my brain) !!!!

Forget the talk of F/A18Fs, F35s and F22s, why don't we look at a cheaper, larger and probably more effective force of A10Cs for Close Air Support, Typhoons or Mirage 2000s as Interceptors and a new generation of Australian designed land based cruise missiles for long range, precision strike ?

Radical I know but who knows what new sets of political eyes and brains may come up with in Canberra ? I've discounted any Russian aircraft as the Russkies are probably still perceived as the "enemy" and treated with suspicion in some quarters. And would they sell their state of the art equipment to one of the USA's closest allies ? I think not.

These ideas have come up following some reading of USAF activities during Vietnam when it was acknowleged that they had the wrong aircraft at the wrong time for the wrong war. For instance, the F105 (despite its designation) was designed as a low level fast, one strike nuclear bomber but finished up being a bomb truck in Vietnam and consequently suffered hundreds of losses in combat as did F4s. Other high performance types suffered as well because they were thrown into missions they were not designed for - ie the F100s.

The A7D was used by the USAF during the late stages of Vietnam but the hierarchy was reluctant to commit to the unglamorous A10A, so demonstrations were made against it and easily won by the A10 which had earlier been selected over the Northrop A9A.

Yet the venerable prop driven A1 Skyraiders were considered much more effective and valuable in the CAS role.

As early as 1967, the USAF realised they had problems in the CAS role so design studies were initiated for a new CAS aircraft, which incorporated many lessons from the IL2s, Hs129s and Ju87s from WW2 as well as the experience of A1 drivers in Vietnam.

Although the A10 entered service in 1977, it is expected to remain in USAF service until 2028 or longer - more than 50 years after first entering service and would follow in the footsteps of the B52 and KC135 ! More than 250 new sets of wings are being manufactured and its receiving other upgrades to ensure it remains a valuable, heavily armed, long loitering aircraft in the USAF ops over Irag and Afghanistan .

The last one was built in 1984 but I believe 100s are in in storage so perhaps Australia could purchase some reworked ones (a la F111G).

And many critics are suggesting that the Typhoon and Mirage 2000s are better dogfighters than F15s, F16s, and F/A18s and would be more than a match for the latest Migs and Sukhois. So perhaps they should be more closely looked at.

Also, I think the days of Australia having manned long range bombers are over as there's really nothing that suits our needs and a Labour (or Liberal) government would never commit such a force to a conflict overseas unless continetal Australia was being endangered. I believe the Hawke (or was it Keating) Government in 1991 quickly rejected a US request for us to provide F111Cs during the first Gulf War.

So that's why we need cruise missiles for long range precision stike. They could be ship or land based and the latter would be difficult to detect if they were constantly moved around the Top End.

So that's my bueprint for the next 25 years.

[Luig]

Super Hornets fit our needs very well I would have thought but I guess you are not considering them? I doubt we have a need for CAS aircraft today given the size of the ADF. We would work with whatever the US has in theatre where we play a supporting role in such a scenario where CAS needed. Otherwise the Super Hornets do everything required? But I guess I am yesterday's man now. :blink:

[gordon]

Well I'm still partial to the Super Hornets too. So that makes two yesterday's men. ^_^

They are a much more capable aircraft than the Hornet and it is available now which the F-35 isn't. Also as a bomb truck it will carry 4x450kg bombs and two external fuel tanks 1230km to a target and return, which is better than the Hornet and F-35 (in its stealth mode).

It would also be nice to have a few Growlers in our combat mix as well.

Gordon