By
Paul Cross
THE
Air Force’s F-111s could be retired from 2010 and a mix of
manned and unmanned aircraft could replace the Orions from 2015
as a result of the Defence Capability Review (DCR).
Minister for Defence Robert Hill said the review stemmed from
changes in the strategic environment, recent operational experience
and an assessment of costings.
CAF Air Marshal Angus Houston said the capability needed to replace
the F-111 would dictate the time of its retirement.
“We think that will be somewhere from 2010 onwards and we’re
very much focused on the capability that the Joint Strike Fighter
will provide,” AIRMSHL Houston said.
“By 2010 the F-111 will be almost 40 years old and studies
suggest that beyond 2010 it will be a very high-cost platform
to maintain.”
He said the F-111 would not be withdrawn until Air Force had fully
upgraded the F/A-18s and its weapons systems, and the AEW&Cs
and tankers were in service.
“The F/A-18 will be capable of dropping not only laser-guided
precision munitions but also satellite-guided precision munitions
and will also be capable of delivering a follow on stand off weapon,
which will also be fitted to the AP-3C,” he said.
With the likelihood of a phased withdrawal from 2010 some of the
planned upgrades to the F-111s will be reviewed.
AIRMSHL Houston said he had great faith in the aircraft as a strategic
capability, with upgrades to the avionics and the wing-replacement
program contributing to its ongoing successful operation.
“Last year’s success at Red Flag is a great example
of what the aircraft still has to offer as a capable strike platform.
Recent experiences have highlighted that the risks associated
with retaining it in the medium term are moderate, however, after
2010 those risks and the costs, become high.”
AIRMSHL Houston said the use of unmanned vehicles would grow in
the future.
“In terms of the UAVs that we might get for surveillance,
I think we need something of the Global-Hawk type. It can stay
up for over 24 hours and with two Global Hawks, or that sort of
platform, you can do the work of five, six or seven P-3s with
much reduced manpower.
So it’s a very persistent way to provide a surveillance capability,”
he said.
“We have spent a reasonable amount of money upgrading the
P-3 to the AP-3 standard but the reality is that the airframe
will only last until about 2015 and will then have to have some
form of replacement.
“What we need to replace the maritime patrol capability,
which involves a lot of surveillance, is to go for a mix of unmanned
and manned platforms.
The manned platform would be capable of performing all the operational
tasks that the AP-3 currently does - underwater warfare and anti-surface
warfare.”
He said the Air Force remained on target to acquire up to 100
Joint Strike Fighters.
The C-130 and multi-role tanker would remain the mainstay of our
transport fleet and the Caribou, which “was proving its worth
right now in the Solomon Islands”, will continue to contribute
as detailed in the Defence White Paper.
AIRMSHL Houston said that protected and sustainable airbases were
fundamental to the ability to deploy forces.
“Our future air power capabilities will depend on a continued,
viable combat support structure.
While the capital acquisition programs are vital to our future
combat effectiveness, so too is our ability to support our weapon
systems, to sustain a well trained workforce and provide and sustain
the relevant supporting infrastructure.
