Defence Update — Future Upgrades for F/A-18 Force

In the mid-year, Cabinet approved the purchase of 12 new C-130J model Hercules Iis to replace the near 30-year-old C-130E strategic airlifters. A decision will be made in about three years on refurbishing or replacing the C-130H model tactical transports. The Air Force has begun negotiations with Lockheed Aircraft on the C-130J acquisition.

The P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft based at Edinburgh, will also undergo a major modernisation of their systems, in a contract won by a team led by the Us company E-Systems. Australian teaming partners are Aerospace Technologies of Australia (Asta), Awa Defence Industries (Awadi), and Honeywell Australia. Three surplus United States Navy P-3Bs are also being acquired for aircrew training, while another P-3 will be acquired and converted to components.

Planning is underway to prepare for a Request for Tender for a new but long-awaited capability, Airborne Early Warning and Control (Aew&C) aircraft. The Raaf is also looking at replacing its two squadrons of Caribou light tactical transports.

The F/A-18 Hornet capabilities upgrade, involving both software and hardware systems, is basically to increase operational effectiveness. The first phase, which is to upgrade the safety and Ew (electronic warfare) systems, and provide for upgrades of other systems, is due for decision in the 1995-96 financial year. The phase 2 upgrade of communications, Ew and navigational systems, and the provision for further systems upgrades, really runs almost parallel to the first phase, and is also timed for a decision in 1995-96, with peak spending in the same years. Both are rated Category 2 as far as funding is concerned, and that means project costs of between $60 million and $200 million.

There is, however, a third phase, with Category 1 expenditure upwards of $200 million. This covers the completion of systems upgrades, including updating the radar capabilities. Major funding will be required from 1996-97 through to 2001-02, with the peak activity in 1999-2000.

In a recent interview Air Vice Marshal Bill Collins, the Assistant Chief of Air Staff — Materiel, outlined that the early phases involved upgrading the mission computer, the radios, Ew and navigation systems. These will be followed by installing improved radar and other systems. It needs to be remembered that the 75 F/A-18 Hornets acquired by the Raaf through the 1980s, are totally software driven aircraft. The first two were delivered from the Us in a historic nonstop ferry flight across the Pacific to Williamtown fighter base near Newcastle in 1984. The remaining 73 were assembled and tested at the Government Aircraft Factories (Gaf) in Melbourne, with other companies involved in component manufacture and the supply of key equipment.

To date the Raaf has been closely tied to McDonnell Douglas and the United States Navy in terms of software support. Avm Collins said this now required some profound questions to be resolved. Air Vice Marshal Collins said the Raaf was falling behind in capability as regional countries acquired more capable aeroplanes, and that trend would continue. The second question to be determined is whether the Raaf continues to follow the Us Navy as the F/A-18 is further developed, or to what extent it might go “unique”, as Avm Collins put it.

“This is all tied up with the fact that it’s a software driven aeroplane with the avionics fully integrated”, he added. The Air Vice Marshal envisages the modifications being carried out in Australia (Asta and Hawker de Havilland would appear logical bidders, but there may be others), but much of the hardware is expected to come from overseas. There also is the burning question of whether the software might be done in Australia. “It’s a very big question as to where the software is best done”, he explained. “Ideally you really need to know the current software, and we haven’t got that capability in Australia yet”. But he does not rule out that software houses like Computer Sciences Corporation and Adcel would make bids.

The Hornets already have undergone updates during their service, which stretches back some 11 years for the early ones. There also have been modifications to correct deficiencies such as structural weakness. The mission computer, which is the heart of the avionics system, has been modified in that period, and faces another upgrade. The latest upgrade proposals would take the aircraft through to the years up to about 2015.

There are three squadrons of Hornets, with two based at Williamtown near Newcastle, and one at Tindal in the Northern Territory. No 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2Ocu) also operates Hornet, mainly two-seat trainers. To date only four Hornets have been lost in accidents. This is well below the attrition rate originally envisaged.