"The Raven" wrote in message
...
"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...

"Defender in Tas" wrote in message
m...


The problem with our having the F-111 is we now have people arguing
that we shouldn't lose such a great capability. It's a double-edged
sword. The F-111 has served us well, but can we really justify its
cost in this day and age? The Army has been run down, and the $300
million we spend on the Pigs would fund the raising of two extra
infantry battalions.


And leave Australia with no long range strke capability, which would you
rather do, hit an enemy force before it lands or let the infantry take
it
on
?

According to the article Australia won't face a conventional threat for 15
years............


Ah yes like the British treasuries 10 year rule

Australias "defence" has always been to keep any attackers at a distance.


Which would seem to suggest long range strike is a good idea


We need extra capability for air defence - the F/A-18s with adequate
air refuelling or basing sufficiently close to the action (at our bare
bases in the north, or Tindal) have strike capabilities, and it is
much cheaper to add new weapons such as HARM to their arsenal - but we
need more aircraft for air superiority, to take on SU-27s and win.


But you just spent that money on 2 new infantry batallions

That was so they didn't need to call up the reserves for all these
"coalition" jobs.


That's why I suggest replacing the F-111s with either the F/A-18E or
surplus ex-USN or USMC F/A-18s. We need to be able to put more
aircraft in the air at once. The F-111 force cannot put that many
planes over a target even allowing for full serviciability - which
seems to be rare.


Old F/A-18's are not a good match for SU-27/37's


With four full squadrons of fighters, additional AAR aircraft and the
AWACS that will enter service in a few years we would be able to repel
attacks against likely threats from our near neighbours.

Eventually those fighters will be the stealthy F-35. But until that
arrives, and it won't be available in 2012 - let's not kid ourselves,
we need to maintain all-round air defence capabilities by retiring the
F-111 and acquiring as a temporary measure additional fighters. The
F-111 is not a fighter. And we cannot afford a single role bomber in
this day and age and with our defence budget.

How many F-35's do you think you'll get for $300 million ?

Already committed $150M with no guarantee anything will ever come of
it............


My point exactly


Not enough to equip a single squadron, face it cut the F-111
fleet without a replacement already ordered and it wont happen

Magic point, if you scrap the F-111's now you set yourself up for a
"........if we went this long without them, why should we get them now?".



Precisely.

Keith