RAAF's F/A-18F Began Testing Air-to-Ground Weapons ~ ASIAN DEFENCE

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

RAAF's F/A-18F Began Testing Air-to-Ground Weapons

9:34 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

AUSTRALIA'S new combat aircraft, the $6 billion Super Hornet fleet, is in South Australia to begin its first live weapons trials at the Woomera Test Range.Five F/A-18F and about 100 aircrew and maintenance personnel from No. 1 Squadron at RAAF Amberley, Queensland, began testing air-to-ground weapons firing in the middle of the South Australian desert on Monday.Wing Commander Glen Braz told The Advertiser yesterday the warbirds were performing above expectations."It's amazing. It's got incredible performance," he said. "You can be on the runway here at Edinburgh and, two minutes later, it's supersonic at 40,000 feet."In terms of capability, it has 11 weapons stations - a 2000 pound bomb. We can carry four of those, each the size of a small car.