Four Hornets flying slow, straight, and far apart the best show the RAAF can put on?

creative_canberran said :

I was about to say that perhaps these jets aren’t ideal for that fancy flying, then I remembered:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blueangelsformationpd.jpg

What about Top Gun? 😛
http://crossfitwilmington.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Top_Gun.jpg

10 harriers lost to 35 argentine fighters and two bombers, but, along with the nighthawk, irrelevant to what’s being discussed. The nighthawk of the balkans war was much less capable than a super hornet of today, let alone a growler, and, as you note, fell victim to EW.

johnboy said :

that was 50 years ago.

Serbia took down a US Stealth Nighthawk in 97 with a SAM because the operator used an unusually long wavelength on their ground-to-air radar.
Never say never.
UK lost 10 Harriers over the Falklands, at the time a very modern aircraft.

that was 50 years ago.

johnboy said :

Dogfighting is about as useful as their sword duelling skills.

I seem to recall that was the thinking leading up to Vietnam. That changed soon enough.

johnboy said :

it’s on the public record that growlers in afghanistan have been blowing up IEDs by recognising heating up the detonator filaments.

And there’s the big flaw in your reasoning JB.
The models we are ordering are the E/F models, with 12 of the 24 being equipped for upgrade to the G model at a later stage.

On its own, there is no evidence that the Raytheon APG-79 has an attack capability as you suggest. Raytheon certainly doesn’t own up to it and they’ve being pushing the radar hard on the export market, even offering it to India.* There are rumours out there, but even those admit that to work, it would be at such a short range as to make it impractical for fear of getting into a dog fight.

The Growler has several modifications and has hardware dedicated to active suppression and jamming of enemy electronics, some of which is proving problematic in that it interferes with the AESA. It’s a work in progress.

*http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2008/q2/080424b_nr.html

Even if the Super Hornets aren’t that great though, it could be worse. Recent audit figures indicate the cost of the RAF Eurofighter Typhoons could push higher than what the F-22s cost yet offer far less capability. They won’t even have proper bomber capability until 2016. Even word that UK may be exploring the Super Hornets too for their two new air-craft carriers.

it’s on the public record that growlers in afghanistan have been blowing up IEDs by recognising heating up the detonator filaments.

johnboy said :

In particular the APG-79 radar in the Super Hornets is not just a sensor, it is an active weapon capable of melting to slag circuitry at a distance.

Also consider the way the cells in the APG-79 will integrate with the cells in the wedgetail arrays and the incoming radars of even greater capability in the F-35.

Dogfighting is about as useful as their sword duelling skills.

But yeah, lets go punch holes in the sky for the temora air show, much more impressive.

Your thoughts on the importance of EW in winning the air battle are generally correct, but the idea that an airborne radar transmitter could melt or otherwise damage receiver circuitry isn’t realistic. Highly effective operational jamming via targeted beam steering yes, but actually inducing a kaboom in the hostile receiver, nope. Honestly, I know what I’m on about here.

Hey my 2 year old thought it was pretty exciting but then he isn’t as sophisticated as some!

creative_canberran said :

johnboy said :

Keep getting your info from the back of model plane boxes CC.

Actually from independent think tanks, defence journals and an ex Royal Air Force Commander who served in the Faulklands and has researched these aircraft extensively.

Please though, enlighten us on these “EW possibilities” you speak of.

Well given that the RAF achieved almost nothing of any value in the Falklands (note spelling) that doesn’t count for much.

And if you’re listening to Carlo Kopp and Airpower Australia then you’d be better off with reading the back of model aircraft boxes.

But perhaps consider the quality of simulators for pilot training, hours flown for hours in service, and if you can get your head around that learn a bit about electronic warfare, which according to Encyclopedia Britannica has been the key determinant of air warfare since the Yom Kippur war of 1973.

In particular the APG-79 radar in the Super Hornets is not just a sensor, it is an active weapon capable of melting to slag circuitry at a distance.

Also consider the way the cells in the APG-79 will integrate with the cells in the wedgetail arrays and the incoming radars of even greater capability in the F-35.

Dogfighting is about as useful as their sword duelling skills.

But yeah, lets go punch holes in the sky for the temora air show, much more impressive.