 |
| Super Hornet (File Photo) |
BY DAVID ELLERY
Defence sources are confident it will be possible to fly sufficient RAAF "classic" Hornet jet fighters long enough to avoid an air defence capability gap at the end the decade.
The RAAF has 24 brand new F/A-18F Super Hornets and 71 of the F/A-18A-B "classic" Hornets dating back to the 1980s.
The 71 "Top Gun" era fighters were due to be retired in 2018 but, as a result of delays in the Joint Strike Fighter program, some are now expected to be kept in service until 2021.
All of the "classic" or "legacy" Hornets are undergoing a major capability upgrade as part of the AIR 5376 program.
Read the full story at the Canberra Times