F/A-18E Super Hornet
Anticipand intarzieri in programul F-35, Ministerul Australian al Apararii a cerut s-a hotarat sa achizitioneze inca 24 de avioane F/A-18 Super Hornet, dintre care: 12F/A-18E/F Super Hornet si 12 EA-18G Growler Electronic Attack, la un cost total de 3,6 miliarde de dolari, conform notificarii trimise Congresului SUA de catre Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
Ministrul Apararii Australian a declarat: “We placed a letter of request [LOR] with the United States authorities to enable us to investigate the potential purchase of up to 24 more Super Hornets”, apoi referindu-se la F-35A, a continuat: “…has been subject to very serious scheduling delays and that’s what’s causing us to risk a gap in capability…. We’re now looking not just to the Super Hornets covering a gap in capability, but whether into the longer term it makes sense for Australia to have a mixed fleet — a mixed fleet of Super Hornets, Growlers and Joint Strike Fighters, which is what you essentially see the United States Navy embarking upon.”
EA-18G Growler
Australia are in vedere dezvoltarea unei flote aeriene mixte, in care F/A-18 Super Hornet sa zboare alaturi EA-18 Growler si F-35A, astfel ca anuntata achizitie a 24 de noi avioane nu impieteaza cu nimic achizitia viitoare a aparatelor F-35A.
Primele doua aparate F-35 sunt asteptate sa ajunga in Australia in cursul anului 2014, iar comanda initiala era de 100 de aparate, pentru un pret de 16,4 miliarde de dolari, numai ca intarzierile si problemele legate de cresterile de costuri au facut ca primul lot de 12 aeronave sa fie in intarziere, iar in acelasi timp, flota de F/A-18 si mai noi si mai vechi, care atinge astazi 71 de aparate operationale, a reusit sa se achite foarte bine de misiuni.
Prima escadrila operationala de F-35A ar fi trebuit sa activeze din 2018 la baza RAAF Williamtown, New South Wales, dar este foarte putin probabil ca acest termen sa fie respectat.
Sursa: Aviationweek
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