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Last Updated: Sat Aug 23 02:51:48 UTC 2008




26th July,  2005
The Editor
Air Power Australia
http://www.ausairpower.net/


 
Dear Sir,

I would just like to say that I greatly enjoy reading your defense articles and find myself agreeing with most of your conclusions, particularly your views regarding the F-111 and its early retirement.

It is a pity that as an experiment the Air Force doesn't take one F-111 and fully upgrade it, including fitting F-14 engines, then test the likely improved performance, reliability and reduced operation costs, before they blindly scrap it on argued reliability and cost grounds. I see that the stand off weapon that Defense is depending on for the F18 upgrade, to enable retirement of the F-111, the AGM-158 JASSM, now faces the risk of being axed by the US Government.

To suggest that the very expensive ASW Orion can be used as a land attack aircraft when armed with these weapons, in skies occupied by Su-27s, makes as much sense as the defending of Rabaul against Zero attack with Wirraway trainers during WW2, and would have a likely similar result. If such missions are ever attempted during hostile times the Defense bean counters who scrapped the F-111 should fly the Orions. I would refuse to fly such likely suicide missions if I was an Orion crew member.

Best wishes

Terry McCarthy
Cherrybrook, NSW



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