Yesterday,
Australia told that they cancelled the purchase of 24 unit F/A-18 F Super Hornet from Boeing about A$6.6 billion ($5.8
billion) and seek
another choice for their
EF-111. The
choice fall between F-22
Raptor,
Su-35 Superflanker or RSK
Mig-29 Fulcrum. The last booth
option come from Russia Industry.
Australia
seek for replacement for their electronic combat aircraft EF-111 at 2010. The
choice fall at Super Hornet(claimed by Boeing as the first export customer for
this type of plane). But lately performance review from Dr Brendan Nelson,
former secretary of defense that this plane performance even can’t compete with
Asia built military aircraft. After test flight, he said that this warcraft are
lacked from acceleration speed and payload range capability limited. Meanwhile
to wait until F-35 finished developed and produced, it will predicted at years
2013 until 2015 if there is no single problem that will due to late producing
and delivered to Australia armed forces. Australia has obligation to purchase
about 100 unit of F-35 Lightning. He was actually accused by new secretary of
defence Joel Fitzgibbon said that Brendan didn’t
hear any explanation from expert before placing order.
Before, Japan has also requested to purchase F-22 Raptor from US but
being blocked due to cost matter. F-22
raptor(export version) cost is about US$ 1 billion.
It’s being in negotiated by Australia Armed Forces, if the cancelation
happened, Boeing will charge them about US$ 300 million. This happened
because Super Hornet for Australia is in production process.
This is just my view only: if Australia agree
to purchase F-22 and the US Congress agree to sell for them. Is their government
budget enough or may wasted.
Few Question : will be tax payer
later see purchase F-22 isn’t necessary? Will they later highly protesting
their own government for this purchasing
plan? Will the F-22 cost/price go
cheaper?
Australia defense department see that only F-22, Su-35 or Mig-29 might
a better match to Singapore RSAF F-15SG(which
will delivered this year at certain phase),F-16D block 51/52 , Indonesia Su-27SK/30MK
TNI AU and Malaysia with Su-30 and Mig-29(which upgradable to type-35).
Few alternative option for Australia for their armed forces such as:EF – 2000 @USD 70 MILLIONSU-35 / 37 @USD
30~45 MILLIONRAFALE DASSAULT @USD 90 MILLION MiG-29/-35 @USD 20~30 MILLION
More summaries about the AUSTRALIA CANCELLED F/A-18 E/F TO SEEK A MATCH FOR THEIR F-111 RAVEN