On Mar 17, 8:30 pm, "Yagu" homenow.com> wrote:

Since tou dragged me into this .
Lets go back to a blank sheet of paper

1 The life extension of the F111 would have cost what ?
2 The term of such a life extension ?
3 Given the platform and available munitions to be deployed what was
the range and chance of survival against those that it may have bumped
in offensive defensive roles ?

4 Political and other bull dust considerations what would the
"neighbours say" if we upgraded a 40 year old platform ? Apart from
laugh .
But certainly would negative the political fall out and any hope
that we were adopting an an overly aggressive posture ( my view on
that is best described as the Wirraway syndrome) Made the neighbours
happy but killed the air crews .

The super bug - what other option was/is available ? A few but the
other factor is commonality with our strongest strategic partner ( I
am not happy about it but it is a fact)

Other options many have touted the Russian kit with US or Euro
Electronics bugger that ! Look at the nightmare of the sea sprite
collins et al of rejigging and reinventing the wheel . It the Sh*t
hits the fan 10 or 15 years down the track . We could have the
charlie guts ache (carl gustav fiasco) all over again on steroids.

Again kill crews because of politics .

Bottom line ----- the whole thing has been handled like a dogs
breakfast and "appears" rushed by a previous agenda .
Cutting to the guts of the problem this Govt I think had no where
else to go in this instance.
The F111 ( although as emotive about them as say Caribous ) are way
past their SENSIBLE use by date . They have a Radar cross section
with external stores
almost as bad as the F18 :) They require TOP and tanker support as
much or in some profiles LESS ! than the stop gap .

I think that people should drill down to even what respected retired
talking head s state and and ask -ok what would YOU put your kid
in ?

Really folks who are we going to be having a stouch with in the next
ten years ? Indonesia ? NO they can't launch a cat against us in
reality ?
China ? No not until at least 30 years down the track at the
earliest ,
India ? NO
So who and what have they REALLY got to Throw against us ?

Answer me that ?
On the Political side we can learn lessons from NZ and use the
bucks saved by funding research into what is really a Global war .
Fresh water and energy then food .
I like toys as much a sthe next bloke but think wed have been led by
the nose a bit by the septics , for their own agenda.
WE should concentrate on the Israeli /Palestine problem, Keep
hammering Afghanistan , we along with the rest of the coalition got
dudded re Iraq so now its is in for a penny in for a pound time . And
we got bent over and rogered like so many others in that lie . Bush
screwed us and the rest plain & simple .

Me I will continue with my work with MSF and Mercy ships . As flying
missions is a young blokes and hot bloods game . As you get older you
realise you have seen it all before ( all the way with LBJ ) etc .

And because of Jingoism , ignorance and lack of long term view
( something the septics lack) (look at the prime debacle Eron et
al) we sit fat dumb and stupid watching 60%% of US Psyche warefare
McDonalds etce tec nad are allowing ourselves to be conditioned as
one US gneral calls us the US Ghurkas wake up you lot and be
Australian .
Enage the neighbours that really count or all perish . But Buy super
bugs they are on special this year :)
Just my passionate 2 cents worth .But YOU Yagu ( bit like yogi the
bear) started it :) EH boo Boo