Australian Naval Aviation

Zort Boy

Active member
Should the Australian Navy obtain VSTOL aircraft for the new assault ships that have been ordered? If so do they wait for the VSTOL version of the F-35 or pick up a dozen Harriers?
 
Probably within a few decades if your air force doesn't have an F-35, it may not be worth having an air force at all.
 
Should the Australian Navy obtain VSTOL aircraft for the new assault ships that have been ordered? If so do they wait for the VSTOL version of the F-35 or pick up a dozen Harriers?

I am not entirely sure why the Australian Navy would need VSTOL capability at all. However if they are determined to buy such aircraft I can see no point in buying 40 year old technology in terms of the Harrier when they can get the latest in the form of the F-35.
 
With the way our navy is funded, we'd prolly be better off getting some replacement parts for the Tiger Moth before they become completely unavailable.
 
don't they have the aircraft carriers? I'm curious...

Naaah,.. we only had 1 when I was in the Navy and it was only an out dated mini toy for the Birdies. Eventually the Government realised that it wasn't worth the biscuit.
 
There is a current project to build new Landing Helicopter Docks (like aircraft carriers but smaller). But judging by ADF procurement there will be world peace before we actually have them on line.
 
The easiest solution is to buy a freighter and then wield a flat top on it.
Add an elevator to bring up bombs and fuel... presto.
 
Naaah,.. we only had 1 when I was in the Navy and it was only an out dated mini toy for the Birdies. Eventually the Government realised that it wasn't worth the biscuit.

I remember back in 1982 that we were on the verge of buying the RN's carrier ARC ROYAL but the Falkland's war ignited and the Brit's decided to keep it.

In 2012, Australia will acquire 2 "Canberra Class" mini-carriers mostly for verical take-off craft however in size they will be larger than the old carriers HMA Ships MELBOURNE and SYDNEY and can equip fixed-wing aircraft if we wanted to add them on.

I belong to the "Australia should have aircraft carriers" faction of the RAN but I think I'm in the minority.
 
whatever happened to that frigate project in port adelaide, are they dun yet wasnt it sumthing like 3 new warships being built?
 
I think that it would be marvellous to have a big well armed defence force with a carrier for the Navy, but the truth of the matter is that we are a small and not spectacularly rich country that really can't afford more than to just maintain a basic Forces structure in times of peace.

In my day (Vietnam) we were more often than not told that we could not do our Annual Rifle Course because their was not enough small arms ammunition available. When I paid off in '75, there were plenty of personnel who had never had a shot out of an SLR and they had been in service for 10 years at that time. I got sick of waiting and bought my own and probably shot 50 rounds out of it for every one round fired in service.

One thing we did have was Furnace Fuel Oil,.. we were still using fuel from wartime storage tanks all around Sydney and Manus Island well into the late 60s, much of it was like tar and needed a lot of heating to be pumped and to burn. When that ran out, and we ducked out of Vietnam with our tails firmly between our legs, the Navy just stopped going places and spent most of it's time alongside in various Dockyards doing self maintenance refits. thankfully I was about to pay off and could see the the crunch coming.

What a damned farce it was. No wonder some people were disillusioned.

It appears that nothing much has changed.
 
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Now they have the WTSS to save ammunition. Oh and if infantry want to use the range they have to book 2 months in advance because the pogues have it all blanket booked, while rifleman get to fire about 3 times a year.
 
Or you can be like South Korea and have a small aircraft carrier and have no fixed wing aircraft able to operate off it.

3 times a year? How long does rifle training last once you start plinging?
 
I am with you on that. We should have them.

Why?

Aircraft Carriers are for the projection of power and Australia simply does not have the logistical capacity to project power outside of the much smaller states in the Pacific region which for the most part can be done with a couple a Destroyers. Australia like New Zealand have to understand that with tiny populations we are not going to be world military powers.
 
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