Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force, Air Marshal Errol McCormack, has new strike capabilities in his sights
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA
Air Marshal Errol McCormack, Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), has flagged tactical airborne reconnaissance and tactical escort jamming as major long term issues for the service to address as its capabilities evolve on the back of Australia's newly released defence white paper.
According to the Air Marshal, the RAAF's Project Air 6000 new fighter requirement will be a major influence on a wide range of future operational capabilities, while key decisions on the structural refurbishment of the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fighters are expected in a few months. McCormack has also given the first official acknowledgement that the RAAF may be preparing to scrap its PGSUS AGM-142 acquisition in favour of a revised strike architecture based on either the Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Strike Missile (JASSM) or Taurus KEPD350 missiles. The 1996 downselect of AGM-142, he says, represented "the best choice for the ADF" in that timeframe.
"Since the decision to acquire the AGM-142 was made, weapons technology has advanced rapidly and there may be ways to accomplish required missions more cost-effectively. This analysis is currently being undertaken by [the Australian Defence Force's] Aerospace Development [branch] and the [Australian] Defence Material Organisation."
Future fighters
He also says, however, that no acquisition process for JASSM will start before 2004 with Government funding approval still required.
Air Marshal McCormack tells Flight International that the F/A-18 structural refurbishment will require a broad spectrum of work, extending beyond the already publicly-identified need for a centre-barrel fuselage section replacement. "Discussions with the US Navy and the Canadian Forces are almost complete and information gained has helped tremendously in determining the best solution for our needs," he says.
"We expect an answer on the way forward in the next couple of months," McCormack adds. "The timeframe for implementation of any structural work is driven by the fatigue life of the airframe. At this stage the structural repairs will need to be commenced around 2007."
McCormack's timescale contrasts with that identified by Australia's defence white paper, released last December. This says the F/A-18 structural work "is to be completed by 2007".
The new white paper highlights plans for the launch of a replacement fighter programme in a similar timeframe, and gives details of plans to replace the F/A-18 and, possibly, the General Dynamics F-111 fleet with up to 100 new frontline aircraft.
According to McCormack, the new fighter programme will include consideration of stand-off tactical jamming and future strike reconnaissance requirements beyond the F-111, but in evolutionary terms. It reports no immediate plans to acquire a dedicated escort jamming capability, such as the USN's Northrop Grumman EA-6Bs or the now retired USAF EF-111 Ravens. Such a "classic" escort jamming capability had been reviewed by the Department of Defence, but was found to be a very expensive capability.
"Our doctrine will be developed to maximise the benefits of the Wedgetail airborne early warning and control system when used in conjunction with onboard self protection jammers and stand-off weapons," McCormack says. In the longer term (post 2020), the future strike force is being considered as part of Project Air 6000. As this project has a remit to consider a range of potentially innovative systems as solutions to the strike require- ment, appropriate survivability will need to be addressed in concert with consideration of these systems.
Lethal suppression of air defences, he claims, will be pursued as part of the proposed JASSM or KEPD350 acquisition. "There are no plans at this time" to raise a new project to address air defence suppression as a separate entity.
Australia shortlisted JASSM and the KEPD350 missiles last July as its follow-on stand-off weapon, with the former preferred. The introduction of long-range stand-off weapons into the RAAF inventory, McCormack acknowledges, will require new approaches to tactical reconnaissance. "Future long-range reconnaissance needs will utilise more than just the RF-111C sensor suite. Combinations of satellite, UAV and manned aircraft are being considered."
"Not only is the question about what vehicles are available to collect the necessary imagery, but the method of making that data available in a timely fashion is just as important. The RAAF must consider the unusual environment in which it operates. Vast expanses of water and featureless terrain, high humidity, dense tropical rainforest and unpredictable weather patterns. At this stage we are keeping an open mind about alternatives to meet future reconnaissance needs."
Long-term plans for Australia's maritime surveillance aircraft capability, McCormack indicates, will be progressed slowly over the next few years. He says that "an Operational Concept Document for future maritime aircraft requirements is being developed which will identify the needs of the ADF. We will use the accepted capability development process to gain Government endorsement of an approved strategy to satisfy our requirements beyond the lifetime of the P-3C fleet."
"Moving beyond recent upgrades of the Lockheed Martin P-3C capability, the ADF is adopting an holistic approach to the future capability development of maritime aviation. This approach, taken with Project Air 6000, may give insight in how to best achieve that. We are currently conducting discussions with the USN on possibilities for a Multi Mission Maritime Aircraft," he says.
Source: Flight International
