Peter La Franchi/ADELAIDE
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has rejected an offer of the loan of ALARM anti-radiation missiles from the UK Royal Air Force, and is proceeding with alternative plans for a new medium range stand-off weapon equipped with a dual spectrum seeker head.
The missile loan proposal, made by the RAF earlier this year, would have equipped the RAAF's F-111 strike aircraft as an interim fit for a period of up to five years, pending the outcome of the Air 5398 stand-off weapon competition.
The missiles would have been drawn from existing RAF stocks, while, with in-country support they would have been provided via the Melbourne Dynamics division of British Aerospace Australia.
The RAF proposal had been evaluated by the air force and Australian defence headquarters, say senior RAAF officers. The proposal was rejected because of cost and the time taken to integrate the missile into the F-111 mission system.
Any decision to accept the ALARM would have "cluttered" what was now a clear pathway to fulfilling the RAAF's remaining stand-off weapon requirements through a common "family" of missiles, says one ministry source.
Australia had initially evaluated the ALARM as part of the now abandoned Phase 1B anti-radiation weapon part of the Air 5398 requirement. The RAAF is working towards the release of an industry issues paper before the end of the year, aimed at detailing the "family of missiles'' concept. The "family" weapon is required to support area denial, anti-radiation and anti-shipping missions and will be operated from the F-111 and Lockheed AP-3C Orion.
The defence forces are also expected to reach agreement with Matra BAe Dynamics and Raytheon before the end of November for the acquisition of ASRAAM short range infrared and AMRAAM beyond visual range missiles for carriage aboard RAAF Boeing F/A-18 fighter aircraft.
Detailed negotiations are now under way with both companies, with a Matra BAe team in Canberra since the middle of October to finalise a deal.
Source: Flight International
