Armée Australienne/Australian Defence Force (ADF)

Citation :

Allocation of Block Construction Work for Australia's Third Air Warfare Destroyer



09:03 GMT, March 12, 2012 The Australian Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and the Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced Mar. 9 the allocation of construction work for the third ship of the $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Project.

The allocation of block construction work for ship three is as follows:

• Forgacs (Newcastle) – 15 blocks;
• ASC (Adelaide) – eight blocks;
• Navantia (Spain) – five blocks; and
• BAE Systems (Melbourne) – two blocks.

This means the four shipyards will construct the same blocks for ship three that they are constructing for ship two. The construction arrangements for block structure and block pre-outfit are:

• Ship 1: BAE Systems 7, Forgacs 14, ASC 9
• Ship 2: BAE Systems 2, Forgacs 15, ASC 8, Navantia 5
• Ship 3: BAE Systems 2, Forgacs 15, ASC 8, Navantia 5

Getting the same shipyards to build the same blocks for ships two and three will enable the AWD Project to take advantage of lessons the shipyards have learnt and the experience they have gained from building the same blocks.

The AWD project involves the construction of 90 separate steel blocks being built at four shipyards in Adelaide (ASC), Melbourne (BAE Systems), Newcastle (Forgacs) and Spain (Navantia) as well as the three sonar block assemblies being built in Spain and the United Kingdom.

In May last year the Government announced the reallocation of 18 blocks for AWD Ships one and two. Thirteen blocks were divided between Forgacs, ASC and BAE with five allocated to Navantia.

The reallocation of work for ship three means that overall division of block construction across the project is:

• Forgacs – 44 blocks;
• ASC – 25 blocks;
• BAE Systems – 11 blocks; and
• Navantia – 10 blocks.

defpro

Citation :

Airbus offers sweetener on air lifter deal


Spanish aerospace contractor EADS-Airbus Military wants to sell the Royal Australian Air Force a cut-price aerial fuel tanker the nation hasn't asked for in return for a shot at a billion-dollar ''battlefield air lifter'' contract.

Australia has already signed off on five EADS-Airbus Military air-to-air refuelling tankers that can be reconfigured to carry passengers or cargo for a total program cost of about $1.8 billion.

EADS is offering a sixth - and heavily marked down - A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) in the hope Defence takes a serious look at its C295. The tanker offer, which involves savings of hundreds of millions of dollars, stands even if this does not happen.


On the downside, the tanker program has been on Defence's projects of concern list since October 2010 and, as recently as last December, was 18 months behind schedule.

By accepting the sixth tanker Defence would be keeping open the Brisbane workshop where conversion work on the A330 MRTTs is being carried out. EADS said the deal would extend 200 highly skilled jobs for ''at least 12 months''.

EADS says strong Defence support for Alenia Aeronautica's C-27J Spartan short takeoff and landing transport plane as the Caribou replacement could cost Australian taxpayers $300 million up front and another $400 million on support costs over the next 30 years. ''Why [have a] tender? Because Australian taxpayers have a right to expect their defence dollars are being spent wisely on the best value-for-money solution - not a gold-plated solution,'' EADS CASA executive Valentin Merino says. He argues EADS's C295 is a better replacement for the Vietnam War era Caribous (retired in 2009), would cost less to buy and be cheaper to operate than the Spartan.

The Pentagon's decision to scrap its Spartan fleet as part of its budget cuts is the real game changer. ''The entire foundation upon which the RAAF's preference for the C-27J was based has largely been swept away,'' he said.

Mr Merino's comments echo a similar pitch by his boss, Airbus Military chief executive, Domingo Urena, during a visit to Canberra last September.

While EADS is coy about one-on-one cost comparisons, they say savings of more than $700 million would be achievable if Australia went with its C295 instead of the Spartan.

The Caribou replacement program is, at the moment, a one horse race with Defence lodging a ''letter of request'' for information on the Spartan last October.

It is widely acknowledged some senior ADF members are ''wedded'' to the C-27J Spartan because of its perceived interoperability with the C-130 Hercules.

Others see merit in the EADS case but fear because Australia has operated without a ''battlefield air lifter'' since 2009. The Air 8000 program - which calls for 10 new planes and support infrastructure - could be shelved in the face of looming budget cuts.

The Caribous achieved iconic status in Vietnam for their ability to fly men, weapons, machinery and equipment into and out of tiny jungle airfields closer to combat zones than most people would have thought possible.

They were also quite handy for special operations.

The modern equivalents are faster, cheaper and less vulnerable than large transport helicopters such as the Chinooks and would serve a vital role as the link between true heavylifters, including the C-130 Hercules and the even bigger C-17 Globemasters, and the battlefield.

The RAAF is ''soldiering on'' with eight King Air passenger planes - five on lease and three brought across from the army.

Only able to carry six passengers and with limited rough landing strip capability, they are considered a stop gap measure of limited utility in combat situations.

canberratimes

Citation :

Opération espionnage : Forces spéciales australiennes en Afrique

Un article récent du quotidien australien The Age révèle que l’armée et les services de renseignement australiens sont de plus en plus liés, et qu’un escadron secret est employé à travers l’Afrique pour des activités d’espionnage au profit des États-Unis. « Les renseignements recueillis par les forces spéciales australiennes dans des pays comme le Kenya sont transférés dans des bases de données qu’utilisent les États-Unis et leurs alliés en Afrique ». (Rafael Epstein et Dylan Welch, Secret SAS squadron sent to spy in Africa, The Age, 13 mars 2012.)

Bien que l’existence du 4 Squadron du SAS (Forces spéciales) n’ait jamais été officiellement admise, elle est confirmée. L’ancien ministre des Affaires étrangères, Kevin Rudd, a demandé son déploiement en Libye l’an dernier, une requête à laquelle se sont opposés des représentants de la Défense, selon The Age. L’article ajoute qu’il a été « confirmé que les troupes de l’escadron ont mené des douzaines d’opérations secrètes durant la dernière année dans des pays africains, dont le Zimbabwe, le Nigeria et le Kenya ».

Fait intéressant, The Age rapporte que le quatrième escadron a été créé au moment où les agents du renseignement australien ont reçu la permission de « porter des armes pour l’autodéfense et de participer à des opérations violentes, à condition de ne pas avoir eux-mêmes recours à la force ». Les soldats « devaient agir à titre de gardes du corps élites et d’éclaireurs pour les agents de l’ASIS [Services secrets de renseignement australiens] ». The Age note que la création de l’escadron « reflète le modèle étasunien, où l’armée et le renseignement ont des liens plus étroits ».

Ce type d’armée clandestine est en fait ce qu’envisagent les États-Unis afin de réduire, dit-on, le coût des opérations militaires dans le monde entier.

En plus d’autres opérations dans les pays africains, le 4e escadron « a évalué les contrôles frontaliers africains [et] exploré les sites d’atterrissage pour d’éventuelles interventions militaires ». Les soldats travaillent en civil et « en dehors des cadres légaux international et australien ».

Le manque de protection légale des soldats soulève des inquiétudes abordées dans l’article. L’aspect illégal de ce genre d’opération en vertu du droit international ne l’est pas. Pourtant, cela constitue une violation de la souveraineté territoriale des États.

Les Étasuniens utilisent le terme « combattant ennemi » pour décrire les membres d’Al-Qaïda et d’autres terroristes présumés et ils ont refusé l’application des Conventions de Genève. Selon leurs explications, la loi de la guerre requiert des combattants légaux le port de l’uniforme ou d’un signe distinctif. On peut assumer que si des soldats clandestins, sans uniforme ni signe distinctif, étaient capturés en sol étranger, ils pourraient, l’instar des agents d’Al-Qaïda, être décrits comme des « combattants ennemis ».

http://www.cameroonvoice.com/news/article-news-6246.html

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/secret-sas-squadron-sent-to-spy-in-africa-20120312-1uwjs.html

ce qu´ils font pas tout pour plaire au chef ces aussies mettre ses hommes en danger sans y avoir gros gain visible,je comprends pas leur toutounerie(et ca suffit pas en tout cas pour le F22)

Citation :

Australia confirms sixth C-17





Australia will acquire a sixth Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircraft in a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal valued at Australian dollars 280 million ($297 million).

"The purchase of the sixth C-17A will double the number of C-17A aircraft available for operations at any one time from two to four," said minister for defence Stephen Smith in a statement.

The new aircraft will arrive in Australia early next year. In November 2011, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified congress of the possible sale.
"The C 17A aircraft can lift very large and heavy cargoes over long distances providing a significant contribution to Australia's ability to reach and respond to events," said Smith. "A sixth C-17 will give the Government increased options to support a wider range of contingencies that might require heavy-lift aircraft and will extend the life of the C-17 fleet by reducing the use of each aircraft."

He listed a number of missions the RAAF's C-17 fleet has performed including domestic and international humanitarian missions. RAAF C-17s have also played an important role supporting Australian operations in Afghanistan.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

Boeing Wins Contract to Paint Royal Australian Air Force Fleet



Boeing Defence Australia to establish paint capability at RAAF Base Williamtown
BRISBANE, Queensland, March 16, 2012 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) has been awarded a three-year contract to perform aircraft surface finishing services for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft fleet.

The contract, worth approximately AUS$20 million, involves preparing, remediating and painting AP-3C Orion, C-130H Hercules, F/A-18 Hornet, and Hawk-127 aircraft across multiple locations in Australia and New Zealand.

BDA’s flexible solution includes standing up a surface finishing services capability at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales.

“This win is a testament to BDA’s proven record of exceeding our customers’ expectations with high-quality, affordable solutions,” said Kim Gillis, managing director, BDA. “The contract is expected to create up to a dozen new positions in Williamtown and to provide continued employment for employees at our Corrosion Control Facility at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.”

From 2013, Williamtown will become the primary facility for painting F/A-18 classic Hornets, while Amberley will immediately focus on the Hawk-127. BDA supplier Air New Zealand will provide paint finishing services for the AP-3C Orion at its facility in Christchurch, with maintenance support provided by Australian Aerospace. The C-130H Hercules will be painted by BDA supplier Flying Colours Aviation in Townsville, North Queensland.

“BDA has a decade of experience providing surface finishing services for the Australian Defence Force, having completed 90 military fixed wing, rotary wing and fast jets at our Amberley facility,” said Murray Brabrook, general manager, Integrated Logistics, BDA. “We look forward to partnering with the Aerospace Materiel Systems Program Office to provide a comprehensive paint solution that ensures ongoing operational effectiveness.”

A C-130H Hercules will be the first aircraft painted in Townsville under the contract in mid-April, followed by a fleet of Hawk-127s at RAAF Base Amberley.

Source: Boeing
Photo: U. S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Sabrina Johnson

Citation :

HMAS Choules passes first capability test
20 March 2012

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The Royal Australian Navy’s new amphibious ship HMAS Choules has successfully completed its first major amphibious training tasks.

Navy and Army have come together during the last three weeks for the amphibious exercises SQUADEX and SEA LION.

Exercise SQUADEX provided practice for drivers of Army and Navy landing craft along with a variety of vehicle types as they drive on and off HMAS Choules.

HMAS Choules is significantly larger than the amphibious ships she replaced and gives the ADF new capabilities such as a floating dock.

The internal docking facility (or well dock) can be flooded to a depth of up to three metres so landing craft and the ship’s own landing barges actually drive inside the hull while the ship is at sea, taking on their cargo of vehicles and people in safe and controlled conditions.

Army Blackhawk helicopter pilots from 5 Aviation Regiment have also put the ship to the test, flying constant sorties to confirm their deck landing qualifications and practice cargo and personnel transfers.

For exercise SEA LION, HMAS Choules was joined by the New Zealand amphibious ship HMNZS Canterbury, Australian Army personnel from Townsville’s 3rd Brigade and planning staff from all three services around Australia. This exercise focused on ensuring the ADF is prepared for a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief incident in our region.

HMAS Choules’ Commanding Officer, Commander John Cowan, said Choules had the capacity to conduct simultaneous landing craft and helicopter operations, day and night, to support humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

“Using Choules’ well dock to move personnel and equipment ashore allows a significant increase in the speed of transfer compared with the Navy’s previous Landing Platform Amphibious ships,” Commander Cowan said.

Choules has a crew of 158 officers and sailors, including a permanently embarked Ships Army Department of 22. The ship can accommodate two large helicopters, 150 light trucks and 350 troops.

defence.gov.au

Citation :

Australia looking at average $US70m per JSF



Australia can still expect to pay an average $US70 million ($A67 million) for each Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, even as production of the next generation F-35s ramps up.

The head of the JSF program for US aerospace company Lockheed Martin, Tom Burbage, said production was now running at four aircraft per month.

"We believe over the purchase time of your 75 airplanes, that cost will average out somewhere around $US70 million ($A67 million)," he told reporters in Canberra.

"The early ones will be more, the later ones will be less.

"It is dependent on an assumption that we are going to go up in the production rate."

Australia is now committed to buying 14 of the advanced Lockheed Martin F-35 JSFs, with two arriving in 2014 and another 12 scheduled for delivery between 2015 and 2017.

Defence is likely to make a decision on the next tranche next year.

But over time, Australia is set to buy as many as 100 of the advanced jet fighters to form the core of the nation's air combat capability out to the middle of the century.

Production of the first parts for the first Australian aircraft starts soon.

Australia's first JSF aircraft will be produced in what's termed low rate initial production (LRIP) lots, with aircraft contracted at a fixed price.

Mr Burbage, who is in Australia for talks with the government, defence officials and local companies making JSF parts, also responded to criticism of the program which will also supply the aircraft to the US, UK, Canada and their allies.

There are concerns the program is costing too much, running late and the resulting aircraft will be outmatched by modern Russian and Chinese aircraft.

Mr Burbage said so far, 16 top tier air forces had fully assessed JSF and they were all still backing it.

"So I would put my stock in their evaluations and their take on what the airplane is going to be capable of doing," he said.

Mr Burbage said those views counted for more than those from a series of pundits who lacked access to all the JSF information and refused to accept that it would be highly capable.

"I often wonder to myself how much faster could we go and how much easier would this program be if we weren't constantly in a defensive crouch, trying to hold off these allegations," he said.

Mr Burbage said had Lockheed spent time trying to understand the capabilities of the aircraft most often tipped as fifth generation opponents to the JSF - the Russian PAK-FA and the Chinese J-20.

"We don't fully understand them yet," he said.

"That they are going to that type of airplane and that type of capability would indicate that what we are doing is pretty important."

The F35s will be used to replace Australia's existing Hornet and F-111 aircraft.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/aust-looking-at-average-us70m-per-jsf-20120322-1vm6r.html

Citation :

Australia Purchases Long Lead Item Equipment for Growler Electronic Warfare Aircraft

A RAAF F/A-18F takes off for a mission at Exercise FARU SUMU 01-2012. (Photo: Australian Defence Force, Kylie Gibson)
08:12 GMT, March 30, 2012 Australian Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced Mar. 29 that the Government would spend more than $19 million to purchase long lead item electronic equipment for the potential conversion of twelve of Australia’s F-18 Super Hornet’s to the EA-18G Growler variant.

In 2009, the Government made the decision to wire 12 Super Hornets for potential conversion to the Growler configuration at a cost of $35 million.

Growler is an electronic warfare system that gives the Super Hornet the ability to jam the electronics systems of aircraft and land-based radars and communications systems. The Growler electronic warfare aircraft was used very effectively by the United States Navy during air operations in Libya last year.

The long lead items are systems and equipment that are required for any potential conversion of Australia’s existing Super Hornets and include:

• Electronic systems;
• Antennas; and
• High Frequency modulation receivers

The decision to purchase this equipment has been made now to ensure Australia continues to have potential access to the Growler technology. A final decision on whether Australia converts some of its Super Hornets to Growler configuration will be made after exhaustive assessment by the Government this year. This purchase ensures Australia will continue to have access to specific technologies needed to make any such conversion.

The purchase of this equipment is being made through the United States Foreign Military Sales process. As part of this process, a Letter of Request formally requesting the purchase has been delivered to the United States.

If Australia converts some of its Super Hornets to Growler configuration it will be the only country in the world, other than the United States, operating such aircraft.

defpro

Citation :

Exercise STURT’S GAUNTLET was a combined arms demonstration for the Australian Command and Staff College conducted by elements of 1st Brigade, along with members of the 16th Air Land Regiment from Woodside Barracks.

The exercise aimed to showcase how the Australian Army might work together in an hybrid threat scenario, and involved a Mechanised Platoon mounted in M113 armored personnel carriers, an M1 Abrams Tank and an Engineer Section working together to neutralize an enemy position. A M777 155mm Howitzer and mortar section provided Indirect Fire Support, with elements from 16th Air Land Regiment providing cover from an air attack and facilitating a link to intelligence aircraft from the RAAF.

Citation :

Australia’s Super Hornet to EA-18G Growler conversion moves ahead



The Australian Government is moving ahead with the conversion of the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) 12 Boeing-built F-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft to the EA-18G model, dubbed Growlers, under a refit programme.

Australia's Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare said in a joint statement that more than $19m will be spent for the purchase of lead item electronic equipment.

The long lead item electronic equipment for the conversion include electronic systems, antennas and high frequency modulation receivers that will be procured through the US Foreign Military Sales route.

The Government has already formally delivered a letter of request to the US as part of the process and will make a final decision this year regarding the conversion after an assessment.

The RAAF received 24 Super Hornet fighters from Boeing as a part of a $6bn deal with the US, aimed to bridge the capability gap between the aging F-111 fighter bomber and the arrival of Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.


During the production process, around 12 Super Hornet fighters were purchased at a cost of $35m for the Growler upgrade, and retrofitting is expected to cost between $200m and $300m.

The Boeing-built EA-18G Growler is capable of countering enemy air defences using both reactive and pre-emptive jamming techniques.

The EA-18G Growler is an airborne electronic attack (AEA) aircraft which operates from either an aircraft carrier or from land-bases and is a derivative of the combat-proven two-seat F/A-18 Hornet, the US Navy's maritime strike aircraft.

Additional features include an advanced electronically scanned array radar, digital data links and air-to-air missiles.

The aircraft's missions are mainly electronic attack (EA) and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD), particularly at the start and on-going early stages of hostilities.

The first aircraft is likely to be converted at the Boeing factory in St Louis and the remaining jets at Amberley RAAF base near Brisbane.

airforce-technology.com

HMAS ADELAIDE / 29-03-12

Citation :

State-of-the-Art Radars Delivered for Australia's AWDs





08:30 GMT, April 24, 2012 Australian Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced the arrival in Adelaide of the first of three state of the art horizon-search radars for the Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD).

“The AN/SPQ-9B radar is located on the main mast of the destroyers and can track over 200 radar contacts simultaneously with a high level of accuracy”, Mr Clare said.

“It will be used to search and track targets immediately above the sea surface, such as low-flying aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles.

“The Royal Australian Navy is the first Navy outside of the United States to receive the radar which is manufactured by US company Northrop Grumman.

“It was purchased by the Australian Government through the United States Foreign Military Sales program at a cost of around $10 million each.”

“This is an important milestone in the AWD Project, which involves the construction of three new warships.

“The new ships are based on a proven design from the Spanish Navy. When complete, the AWD will be one of the most capable warships of its size in the world.

“Each AWD will have anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability as well as the ability to embark a helicopter at sea.

Construction of the AWDs involves the fabrication of 90 separate steel blocks, 30 for each ship, as well as three additional sonar blocks at a number of shipyards in Australia and overseas.

These blocks will be brought together by ASC at the South Australian Government’s Common User Facility in Adelaide where the ships are being assembled.

Five blocks have already been delivered from Williamstown shipyard in Melbourne, with a further 12 planned to be delivered this year from shipyards in Williamstown, Newcastle and Spain including a sonar block for HMAS Hobart (III).

So far this year the gun software and gun weapon systems have been received, and the combat system is currently being tested in the United States.

By the end of 2013, 34 more blocks are due to be completed, work will have begun on the third ship HMAS Sydney (V) and trials of crew training will have commenced.

defpro

soldat australien

SAS

ca fait plaisir a voir de tels exercices

Citation :

L’Australie ne prendra pas de décision sur le renouvellement de ses sous-marins avant 2013



L’Australie ne prendra pas de décision sur le remplacement éventuel de ses sous-marins avant la fin 2013 ou le début 2014.



Le ministre de la défense, Stephen Smith, a confirmé que 2025 restait la date de désarmement prévue pour les 6 sous-marins actuels, bien que le potentiel de prolongement de leur durée de vie soit étudié.

M. Smith a précisé que les options de financement des nouveaux sous-marins étaient étudiées par le gouvernement.

« Selon le calendrier actuel, une décision de principe est attendue pour la fin 2013, début 2014, » a-t-il répondu à une question de l’opposition.

Les achats de matériels militaires impliquent désormais un processus à 2 étapes.

Dans la 1ère étape, le gouvernement donne l’autorisation de principe d’acheter un matériel, soulignant les options à explorer et celles à rejeter, la participation de l’industrie locale et les financements probables.

Dans une 2è étape, le gouvernement approuve l’achat d’un matériel précis.

Le Livre blanc de 2009 prévoit l’achat de 12 sous-marins ultra-modernes, devant être construits en Australie.

Nine MSN

Citation :

Australia to push back F-35 decision by two years

Australia will delay its acquisition of 12 Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft by two years to save costs associated with the programme.

The decision to buy the 12 aircraft will be made in 2014-2015, as opposed to later this year, says minister for defence Stephen Smith.

Canberra has only committed to two F-35As, which will be delivered in the USA and used for ground and aircrew training. Plans call for it to buy an additional 12 under Project Air 6000 Phase 2A, and a subsequent 58 under Phase 2B.

The reports suggest that Australia hopes to save A$1.6 billion ($1.64 billion) by delaying the purchase. Smith said the move mirrors a US decision earlier this year to delay the acuisition of 150 F-35s.

"When we embarked upon the project we did a couple of very sensible things; firstly we chose the conventional Joint Strike Fighter, and secondly we put a fair amount of padding in our cost and in our timetable," says Smith. "On the timetable we have been making sure that we don't end up with a capability gap. We'll make that decision formally by the end of this year in terms of the capability gap, but my current advice is that the life of our 71 F-18 Classic Hornets and our 24 Super Hornets is sufficient for our air combat capability, but we'll make an advised judgement before the end of this year."

Boeing hopes to sell additional F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets to Canberra. Australia already has 24 Super Hornets that it acquired to fill a capability gap owing to F-35 programme delays, and Smith has consistently maintained that additional Super Hornets are an option.

Canberra's delay will only heighten cost concerns associated with the F-35. Japan, Norway and Canada have expressed concerns about the programme's cost.

flightgloba

Citation :

Le Premier ministre, Julia Gillard, a annoncé que son gouvernement s'attellerait sous peu à une révision stratégique des forces armées du pays. Le dernier Livre blanc remonte à 2009 et le prochain sera rendu public début 2013, soit avec un an d'avance.

Mme Gillard a précisé qu'un « certain nombre d'importants développements se sont produits depuis la publication du dernier Livre blanc tant au niveau national qu'international ».

Le gouvernement a aussi débloqué 200 millions de dollars pour entamer la planification des travaux préparatoires à la construction de 12 sous-marins.
Construction qui devrait commencer avant la fin de cette décennie. Il s'agirait, selon le ministre de la Défense, Stephen Smith, du « plus grand projet de défense jamais réalisé par le Commonwealth. »

Le gouvernement a laissé entrevoir des coupes dans le budget de la Défense mais a précisé que ces coupes n'auraient pas d'incidence sur les opérations internationales.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/french/2012-05-04/nouveau-livre-blanc-de-la-d%C3%A9fense-en-australie/938040

Citation :

Boeing Wins $55M Contract for Support from Royal Australian Air Force

Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced that Boeing has been awarded a $55 million Electronic Warfare support contract for the Royal Australian Air Force fleet of Wedgetail aircraft.



“Our Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft will play an important role in providing Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capability for the Australian Defence Force,” Mr Clare said.

The support arrangements for our fleet of AEW&C aircraft include software development, testing and repair of the Wedgetail’s advanced Electronic Warfare systems.

This contract is expected to provide employment for 27 engineers and logistic specialists in South Australia.

“It is important that this support work is done here in Australia. It will reduce the often lengthy overseas repair times, increase aircraft availability and reduce overall costs.” “The contract will also ensure critical engineering and Electronic Warfare systems design knowledge is retained within Australia for the ongoing support of the fleet of Wedgetails,” Mr Clare said.

defenseworld

Citation :

Minister for Defence and Minister for Defence Materiel – Joint Media Release – New Battlefield aircraft for the Air Force


10 May 2012



Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced that the Government had agreed to purchase 10 Alenia C-27J Spartan Battlefield Airlift aircraft at a cost of $1.4 billion.

The C-27J will replace the Caribou aircraft which was retired from service in 2009 after a career spanning more than four decades. The C-27J complements the capabilities of the C-130 and C-17 aircraft and uses common infrastructure and aircraft systems such as engines, avionics and the cargo handling systems.

The acquisition of the C-27J will significantly improve the ADF’s ability to move troops, equipment and supplies. The C-27J has the capacity to carry significant load and still access small, soft, narrow runways that are too short for the C-130J or runways which are unable to sustain repeated use of larger aircraft.

In Australia, the C-27J can access over 1900 airfields compared to around 500 for the C-130 Hercules aircraft. In our region, the C-27J will be able to access over 400 airfields compared to around 200 for the C‑130 Hercules aircraft.

These aircraft will provide battlefield airlift but are also capable of conducting airlift in our region. They will be able to operate from rudimentary airstrips in Australia and overseas and will be able to support humanitarian missions in remote locations.

The flexibility of the C-27J allows it to undertake a wide range of missions from delivering ammunition to front line troops to undertaking aero-medical evacuation of causalities.

A Battlefield Airlifter needs to be able to operate in a high threat environment. The C-27J with its missile warning systems, electronic self protection, secure communications and battlefield armour provides protection from threats ranging from small arms to highly lethal man portable air defence systems (MANPADS).

The C-27J was assessed by Defence as the aircraft which best met all the essential capability requirements and provides the best value for money. It was assessed as being able to fly further, faster, higher while carrying more cargo and requiring a smaller runway than the other aircraft under consideration, the Airbus Military C-295.

The acquisition of the 10 C-27J aircraft with associated support equipment will be conducted through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) arrangement with the United States (US) at a cost of around $1.4 billion. The first aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2015 with the Initial Operating Capability scheduled for the end of 2016.

Initial logistic support, including training for aircrew and maintenance personnel will be provided through the FMS program, utilising the system that has been established in the US. Defence will seek a separate agreement with the C-27J manufacturer, Alenia, in order to ensure that RAAF can operate, maintain and modify the aircraft throughout its planned life.

Since the retirement of the Caribou fleet in 2009, Australia’s military airlift capability has comprised C‑17 heavy lift aircraft, C‑130 H and J model Hercules aircraft, the Interim Light Transport aircraft (8 Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft) and Navy and Army helicopters.

In the Budget the Government announced the retirement of the C-130H, which will proceed in an orderly fashion over the course of the year.

The 10 C-27J will be based in Richmond.

minister.defence

patrol boats: HMAS Armidale Class:








sa maquette

Citation :

Australian Tiger Helicopter Flying Operations Suspended

The Australian Army has suspended Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter flying operations for training activities due to a concern following the detection of fumes in the cockpit of one of the aircraft.

The Australian Army has a fleet of 22 Tiger helicopters, 19 of which are in the fully capable configuration operating in the fleet. The remaining three aircraft are completing a retrofit program and should return to the fleet later in the year.

Army’s Tiger fleet is not yet in full operational service. It will become fully operational once its capabilities and maturity have been fully tested and proven to the satisfaction of Army and final testing is planned for the end of 2012.

defpro