Classic Hornet: $214M per year (peak) sustainment for 71 aircraft. Or, $3.01M per aircraft per year (very old aircraft).
Super Hornet: $180M per year (peak) sustainment for 24 aircraft. Or, $7.5M per aircraft per year (fairly new aircraft).
Good grief, no wonder Defence senior management is in trouble.
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The key risks to the F/A-18 fleets’ fulfilment of their operational requirements until their replacement by the F-35A Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter) revolve around Defence’s ability to maintain the present levels of Hornet sustainment and structural-integrity management. Defence data indicates that this will require steadily increasing financial investment, with F/A-18 Hornet sustainment costs estimated by Defence to peak at $214 million per year in 2018–19. By 2011, Hornet Deeper Maintenance service costs had risen 73 per cent, from $750 000 to $1.3 million per aircraft, over the previous few years. This reflects the effort needed to keep an aged and complex fleet airworthy and operational. Super Hornet sustainment costs are estimated by Defence to peak at $180 million in 2017–18, as these aircraft are expected to be withdrawn from service before costly aged-aircraft maintenance or structural-fatigue-related maintenance is required. These Defence sustainment estimates are based on the F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18 Super Hornet Planned Withdrawal Dates of 2020 and 2025 respectively.
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From the ANAO report on Hornet sustainment.
Of interest, an expensive way of doing sustainment?
The most recent additions to the RAAF’s air combat capability are the 24 Super Hornets that were progressively delivered to RAAF Base Amberley, near Brisbane, between March 2010 and October 2011. In December 2010 the Super Hornet fleet achieved the Initial Operational Capability milestone, a week after the retirement of the RAAF’s F-111 fleet. The Super Hornet acquisition and its in-service support are largely based on US Government Foreign Military Sales arrangements that are designed to maximise commonality with US Navy F/A-18F sustainment arrangements. The RAAF’s F/A-18F Operational Maintenance squadrons are therefore organised as ‘pseudo’ deployed US Navy Super Hornet squadrons, drawing assistance from the supplier/repair-vendor network used by the US Navy.
6 comments:
Must be the learning curve.
Going on the last published RAAF figures ,the F111 would now cost the same for the same number, even though it is also an old aircraft.
Looks likes Boeing is having a real laugh.
That amount of money to swap a few modules and ship it back to Boeing. Amazing.
Although I do believe we are allowed to change tyres and paint them.
What will the numbers on the F35 look like then.....
Got to be rational though, sustaining 'high end aircraft' wont be cheap. So AU cant purchase high price aircraft and then complain about it. Non will be. Get a budget that works or don't buy the aircraft. Other wise they are just plain useless... expensive ones at that.
I think AU should know these cost before commitment however... that would at lease be some commercial common sense.
Out of interest, is there a comparison between US sustainment and AU (or other countries) running Super Hornets & Growlers, and does this number include the Growlers?
And, they will never get a good deal without a competitive tender.
"The RAAF’s F/A-18F Operational Maintenance squadrons are therefore organised as ‘pseudo’ deployed US Navy Super Hornet squadrons, drawing assistance from the supplier/repair-vendor network used by the US Navy."
Using the supplier/repair-vendor network used by the US Navy.
How could the sustainment costs have gone out of control?
Wait. Wait. It's on the tip of my tongue. It'll come to me.
Now, imagine Australia dropping the F-35, & getting Gripen E/F's instead... result; more planes, more flexibility, better Air to Air capability, & lower costs..? & eaven considerable commonality with the SH's through the use of GE-414..! :P
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