Update – MDC F-18A Hornet

On May 30, 1983, the Spanish Government announced a decision to buy 72 Horis with an option for 12 more aircraft. This now brings the international sales of the aircraft to 285 spread between Spain, Canada and Australia Several other countries are also considering the Hornet in their fighter replacement programmes.

So far we have not seen much physical project activity in Australia as the industry production and RAAF facility programmes are still to some degree in the planning and preparation stages. But output from industry is imminent and some factories, for example Dunlop, have already begun production. The next half year will see a significant increase in the manufacture of F/A-18 components in Australia.

There is considerable activity in the United States. The RAAF has a team of 55 in St Louis at the McDonnell Douglas factory. They are deeply involved in assessing and procuring GSE and spares support for the F/A-18 and the flight simulator and will cover the AIM-9 and AIM-7 missiles in due course. Their efforts currently are geared to provide enough spares, GSE and ATE to allow the maintenance squadron and the OCU to begin operations at Williamtown in early 1985. Support for the remaining units will be phased to coincide with the activation of each squadron.

Earlier this year we also sent a team of five to the US to manage the flight simulator, which will bought from Sperry Corporation at Reston, Virginia. The first of two simulators is to be handed over to the RAAF at Williamtown in June 1985. The second will support F/A-18 operations in the Northern Territory and is scheduled for delivery in 1987.

A lot of activity is underway to provide for training of RAAF and other personnel. The RAAF has an exchange pilot at NAS Lemoore while a USN pilot has just arrived at Williamtown. In mid-1984 expect to see a RAAF fighter pilot on exchange with the USMC flying the Hornet. An RAAF test pilot and an engineer officer are also now based at the US Naval Air Test Centre at Patuxent River, not far from Washington DC. Eight RAAF members led by a wing commander also are at NAS Lemoore and over the next two years will develop RAAF plans and documentation for servicing of the F/A-18.

Altogether there are now 87 RAAF members in the US associated with the project. For the past six months, the project office has been working with the RAAF Directorates of Training and Technical Plans to develop a plan for the initial training of RAAF technical personnel. This plan is almost complete and will detail the levels and category /mustering of personnel required for training in the US, mainly at NAS Lemoore. In 1984/85 the RAAF will need to send about 100 officers and airmen for technical training on the F/A-18 with the USN and at manufacturers’ plants in the US. Most of these personnel will form the core of the OCU and the maintenance squadron at Williamtown but HQSC engineering staff also are included. Much work has also been done toward defining and buying the training aids necessary for successful technical training in Australia.

The RAAF has accepted a recommendation for a computer-based training system (CBTS) which will be bought in the US, together with suites of operating and intermediate level ‘course-ware’. There is an opportunity here to collaborate with Canada in the development of this system with considerable cost advantages to both countries. The CBTS will be complemented by a number of specialised computer-based simulated aircraft maintenance trainers (SAMTs) which provide significant benefits over the more traditional hardware systems trainers.

Training of aircrew also has received attention. By mid-1984the RAAF will send seven pilots for conversion training to the US. Included in that group will be the CO and operations officer for the OCU. Apart from training on the aircraft, this team will also have some responsibility to develop the aircrew conversion syllabus for training in Australia.

These pilots and the ground crew who will be in the US will operate the first two Australian aircraft between October 1984 and March 1985. They will also be involved in the ferry of the two aircraft to Australia. One area of concern is the development of a soundly based aircrew training system that ties in the ‘hands-on-throttle-and-stick’ Training Aid (HOTASTA), the flight simulator and the aircraft. The HOTASTA provides a prospective F/1>-r18 pilot with training in the manipulation of the various weapons and sensor systems available to him. It represents a mock-up of a cockpit where information can be called up on the aircraft’s video displays and manipulated, with the assistance of the inevitable computer, as in a real aircraft. The project office is presently working with the Air Staff to develop a concept for aircrew training similar to that being developed for technical training.

Readers will be aware that the Government earlier this year announced a $100 million development at Williamtown Base to accommodate the F/A-18. The work will begin this month. A number of facilities such as the simulator building need to be available in early 1985 and these urgent works are now getting underway.

The total Williamtown development will include maintenance facilities to handle the new technology of the F/A-18, aircrew accommodation, extensions to the main equipment store, quarters for married and single personnel and ancillary works. Williamtown is likely to see a lot of activity over the next few years.

Major assemblies of the first RAAF Hornets are becoming visible entities on various production lines in the US as this article goes to press.

The time is rapidly approaching when these will roll off the production line at the McDonnell Douglas factory at St Louis, Missouri as complete aircraft for flight testing prior to delivery in October 1984.