F-35 Joint Strike Fighter - Abbott agrees to buy more, more, more.

[Kangaroos4eva]

Just construction:

Subs set to sail past $100b as defence call on budget grows

Australia was planning to spend $90 billion on French submarines. Now the budget faces at least a massive hit from nuclear-powered vessels.

www.theage.com.au

It was naïve of me to assume that wouldn't include sustainment costs.

 

[QuietB]

I think many of us accept the need for better Naval capacity. considering out strategic position & needs.

The may its been done has been pretty poor.

It clear France should have been better forewarned about out concerns of changed strategic concern in our region. Then our change of direction.

Scumo loves the big stage for announcements. As much as I don't believe we owe France very much, we do/did owe them proper diplomatic consideration.

I'd think this decision has been in the works 'for some time'.

Time enough for leader to leader discussion & information. It costs nothing to at least seem like we care about their domestic sensitivities.

Rule 1, never burn your bridges, just in case.

This is Trump populism gone mad.

All Morrison cares about is domestic narrative control in the media and votes.

If that means you burn a few bridges along the way so be it. Getting re-elected is the only thing that matters and the cost of doing so is irrelevant - Morrison does not have to pay it.

 

[madmug]

Remember the much mocked school hall project? Oh how we laughed.

The LNP have long since lost any semblance of economic management 'superiority' over Labor, let alone BF posters'

They doubled Federal Debt after 2013/prior to Covid19 breaking out. !!!!!!!

They handed out cash to rich businesses & never had rules to reassess after a period of time. They were happy to attack the poorest people with Robodebt, & waste over $1billion on that disgrace.

The Scumo supporters won't even touch these facts.

Lets not even look at the Porter disgrace. Blind Trust! We're not blind & he can't be trusted, more like it.

 

[jerry springer]

Not a mention yet of how much its going to cost to redo the facilities to keep them home ported, these Virginia Class are ******* big, Bigger than the LA class which are ******* huge. Nearly 40 m bigger than the collins class

Collins-class vs Virginia-class | Comparison submarines specifications

Here you can compare specifications, production year, cost and pictures submarines.

armedforces.eu

 

[Elroo]

Good decision by Navy to cut loose these pieces of crap and to source additional Seahawks.

US reveals plan to sell Australia 12 military helicopters in $1.3b deal

The Royal Australian Navy is set to dump its troubled fleet of European-made MRH 90 Taipan helicopters, replacing them with 12 US-made Seahawks in a deal worth around $1.3 billion.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Greenstar5]

Wonder sometimes if its the user more than the aircraft. Seems like we have nothing but issues with military helicopters.

 

[Blue Arrow]

Good decision by Navy to cut loose these pieces of crap and to source additional Seahawks.

US reveals plan to sell Australia 12 military helicopters in $1.3b deal

The Royal Australian Navy is set to dump its troubled fleet of European-made MRH 90 Taipan helicopters, replacing them with 12 US-made Seahawks in a deal worth around $1.3 billion.

www.abc.net.au

Expect an announcement soon from the army for new Black Hawks to go with the Apache order.
Have a clear out of all the European junk.

 

[kranky al]

Wonder sometimes if its the user more than the aircraft. Seems like we have nothing but issues with military helicopters.

We have nothing but problems with defence procurement. Was a problem when i was in - got out early 90’s and we watched almost every single acquisition go **** up due to trying to save money or over australianising.

case in point something as simple as a pack:

the old auspack was a pretty flawed design, too small, impossible to do river crossings with without wetting all your kit and doubling the weight. (You needed to use a hootchie wrap to make it a water resistant floatation bundle) No external frame.

australian company contracted to design new pack - design brilliant pack, comfortable to carry heavy loads, water resistant when used as a floatation aid on creek crossings, external frame protects the users back distributing the weight between shoulders and hips.
Trialled by alpha company 1 RAR and loved by the diggers. DONT CHANGE ANYTHING!!

Defence procurement say cost per unit too high, cut the budget to half, company makes slightly larger version of old pack, not water resistant, internal frame, no spreading weight - piece of scomo.

defence procurement - knowing its a dog,dont send it to an infantry battalion to be trialled - give it a shortened trial at 1 armoured regiment - tankies.

its bigger, fits more s**t - tankies say yep thats fine.

Xthousand units built issued army wide. Prior to the new pack soldiers were allowed to use any lack that suited them purchased out of members own coin (we were happy with this as a tall skinny guy tends to like a different style pack than a short stocky bloke etc)

New pack issued - ban on non issue packs - no mods allowed. First major exercise for us was up at high range - up and down big funk-off hills all day simulating section and platoon attacks all day every day for a month. Carting 50kgs of gear.

within two weeks my back gave out - along with so many other guys it was a joke - the internal frame just ended up pushing all the weight into the small of your back.

after the first ex our co quietly lets it be known that you can modify these packs any way you want - just as long as they are recognisably the basic pack.

we all go off to canvas makers and get hoods and clips for alice pack frames.

off the shelf at a comparable price to the s**t newpack - we could gave bought the us alice pack - a pack that had its roots before vietnam and is still used today - because it funking works!!!

we could have bought them iff the us in olive green for less than the price of the new pack. Or licensed them in auscam for around the same price as the new pack and just bought the alice frame.

We had the general in charge of procurement come out on an exercise asking us what we thought of the packs - ive never seen private soldiers openly spit hate at the rank as i saw that day - every bloke in my platoon let him know he funked up - and our own rank sat back and didnt say a word…..

 

[Rob R]

Wonder sometimes if its the user more than the aircraft. Seems like we have nothing but issues with military helicopters.

We stupidly buy products based on being able to market it as local job creation (when in reality maintenance jobs matter not the build jobs) rather than needs and then try to modify the crap out of them introducing all sorts of risks and compromises.

On SM-G570F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

If we're buying choppers why the f*ck aren't we buying more Sikorsky sky-cranes to help combat the single most imminent threat to Australian lives and property?

Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Elvis rules!!

Elvis (helicopter) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Elroo]

Good decision by Navy to cut loose these pieces of crap and to source additional Seahawks.

US reveals plan to sell Australia 12 military helicopters in $1.3b deal

The Royal Australian Navy is set to dump its troubled fleet of European-made MRH 90 Taipan helicopters, replacing them with 12 US-made Seahawks in a deal worth around $1.3 billion.

www.abc.net.au

It looks like we'll be getting an additional helicopter after one just ditched into the sea;

Australian navy helicopter crashes in ocean

Three Royal Australian Navy officers have suffered minor injuries after their helicopter crashed over the Philippine Sea overnight.

www.news.com.au

 

[kranky al]

It looks like we'll be getting an additional helicopter after one just ditched into the sea;

Australian navy helicopter crashes in ocean

Three Royal Australian Navy officers have suffered minor injuries after their helicopter crashed over the Philippine Sea overnight.

www.news.com.au

Why we keep buying eurocrap when theres battle tested off the shelf reliable yank stuff has got me funked!!

 

[Elroo]

Why we keep buying eurocrap when theres battle tested off the shelf reliable yank stuff has got me funked!!

Yep, the reality is in an operational environment we are going to be operating with US forces rather than European. Buying a hodge-podge of equipment from various European countries just makes for massive logistical issues, operational operability issues, and manning issues.

 

[QuietB]

Why we keep buying eurocrap when theres battle tested off the shelf reliable yank stuff has got me funked!!

Umm, Seahawks are USA helicopters

 

[kranky al]

Umm, Seahawks are USA helicopters

And they are a good proven unit