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Phase 1 | Cost Performance The project remains within its current approved budget. |
Schedule Performance The project remains on schedule in order to meet Final Operational Capability (FOC) by December 2012. Air 5349 Phase 1 achieved a number of significant milestones in this reporting period including the declaration of Initial Operating Capability (IOC) with 20 mission capable aircraft delivered. The aircraft deliveries remain ahead of schedule and are being operated by Numbers 1 and 6 Squadron based at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Amberley. The necessary engineering, maintenance, supply and training arrangements to support aircraft operations and aircrew training within Australia have also been established. | |
Materiel Capability Performance The Super Hornets have been granted Australian Military Type Certification and all 20 aircraft have been entered on the State Register and released from the Defence Material Organisation (DMO) to the RAAF for service. The aircraft have a comprehensive electronic warfare suite (the towed decoy jammer, ALE-55, is planned for delivery prior to December 2012), advanced infra-red/laser pods, external fuel tanks, aerial refuelling stores and an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The Super Hornets are able to employ the AIM-9X and AMRAAM C5 air-to-air missiles, and JSOW-C weapons being procured under Phase 2 of the project along with a range of weapons already in the Air Force's weapons inventory. Two tactical flight simulators and two cockpit procedural trainers have been delivered and service released during 2010 to provide aircrew training. | |
Phase 2 | Cost Performance The project remains within its current approved budget. |
Schedule Performance The project successfully achieved IOC in December 2010 and is on schedule to achieve Final Material Release (FMR) by August 2012 and FOC by December 2012. The AIM-9X and JSOW C will transition to the DMO in-service management organisation in the second half of 2011. | |
Materiel Capability Performance The AIM-9X and JSOW C have been delivered, certified, and are in service. A number of AIM-120 B and C-5 AMRAAM have been upgraded to be compatible with Super Hornet, with the remainder of the inventory scheduled for upgrade in the third Quarter of 2011. The United States Navy is undertaking developmental test and evaluation of the JSOW C-1 weapon which is progressing on schedule as is the acquisition process of the AMRAAM C-7. | |