Australia's
Strategic Policy

F-111 Capital Support Equipment

As there is no affordable alternative in the short to medium term which can provide the range and weapons payload of the F-111, we plan to operate the F-111 up to 2020. To achieve this, it is necessary to advance the acquisition of spares and other consumables to support the aircraft as the ADF will become the sole operator of the F-111 by mid-1998, when the US Air Force withdraws its remaining F-111 aircraft from service.
We intend to modify the F-111G engines, provide technical assistance to industry for future support of the F-111 aircraft and establish locally all necessary structural testing and flight clearance systems for the F-111.
F-111G engine modifications will increase the commonality with the F-111C engine, improve engine availability, expand the size of our operational fleet, and reduce through-life costs. Sufficient engines to support six aircraft will be modified shortly with the remainder progressed over the next few years.
Establishment in Australia of the necessary structural testing and flight clearance systems for the F-111 will include the facility and equipment to enable the F-111 to undergo critical fatigue (cold proof load) testing. Enhancing the ADF's flight test capability will ensure that F-111 aircraft and weapons can be upgraded or changed in the future.
Much of the work involved in the F-111 upgrade will begin in the near future and continue into the early years of the next decade.

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AUSTRALIA'S STRATEGIC POLICY

Picture of F-111C with AIM-9, GBU-24 and AGM-84

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