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Subject: Australia's Real Aircraft Carrier
Aussiegunneragain    7/6/2009 3:52:05 AM
With all this discussion about aircraft carriers I thought it a good time to point out that Australia has a real fixed aircraft carrier just 360 km south of Jakarta, complete with a 2103 metre airfield openned in 1974 and an on-site supply of Jet A-1. / With that in mind I was thinking that a discussion about the potential opportunities that our ownership of Christmas Island presents, as well as how we plan ahead to ensure that we keep it in the event of a conflict, might be in order.
 
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DropBear       7/6/2009 12:36:54 PM
It is a wonder that we didn't turn it into the Oz equivalent of Diego Garcia, Guam or Ascension Island after we gave up having a permanent presence at Butterworth.
 
Couldn't imagine rotating aircrews through there could be any worse than being based in other isolated environs such as RAAF Tindal. http://www.strategypage.com/CuteSoft_Client/CuteEditor/Images/emdgust.gif" align="absMiddle" border="0" alt="" />
 
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gf0012-aust       7/6/2009 5:04:43 PM

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christmas island is all geared up to take major forces, but it would require some significant changes to it's comms.  unfort, the locals are so fed up with DImmi that they're more lilely to stage their own coup. :)  They're happy with AG's, but DImmi have the majority involvement.....

not sure you'd want to stage anything out there with a hostile population.  on any given day some of the locals would be quite happy to secede from the CoA.  It's the usual, they resent the CoA, but want and need the CoA's money to exist and still look as they are "happy happy joy joy"

 
 
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Herald12345    Eniewietok them and install a missile test range.    7/6/2009 5:17:55 PM
There are answers to ANY problems you find. National security covers almost any injustice. Just ask Robert "the Butcher" McNamara about that.
 
http://www.strategypage.com/CuteSoft_Client/CuteEditor/Images/emcrook.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0" alt="" /> .
 
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stingray1003       7/6/2009 7:28:47 PM
I heard there have been much expansion of the facilities at CI from someone who was doing historical research out there recently.
 
I don't think the locals are really any worse than queenslanders about the CoA and gaining independance. Everyone wants more, but are they really going to arm themselves and storm a military installation? We still have bases in Queensland.
 
I think long term it will be more frequently used. Just I think its a bit of pain to fly fighters out there and would need to be essentially a military base to support a fleet of our very valuable tankers (which we don't have right now) and fighter bombers.
 
 Maybe once we get Sh/F-35, drop tanks and several refueling aircraft they might concider operating it more frequently.
 
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gf0012-aust       7/6/2009 9:45:14 PM

I don't think the locals are really any worse than queenslanders about the CoA and gaining independance. Everyone wants more, but are they really going to arm themselves and storm a military installation? 

it was tongue in cheek, but, they do HATE DImmi with a passion.  I had a mate who was the islands administrator. 
 
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Volkodav       7/6/2009 11:26:00 PM
they do HATE DImmi with a passion
 
Who doesn't?
 
They have to be one of  the most totally screwed up departments being both highly politicised and grossly incompetent. Detaining and even deporting seriously ill Australian Citizens who were listed as missing persons, negligently endangering department personnel and civilians with substandard, non compliant equipment (i.e. patrol craft) and don't forget the debacle of the privately run detention centres.
 
I wonder why anyone would dislike them.
 
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DropBear       7/7/2009 12:16:41 AM
We still have bases in Queensland.
 
Due totally to our former illustrious state leader naturally. http://www.strategypage.com/CuteSoft_Client/CuteEditor/Images/emwink.gif" align="absMiddle" border="0" alt="" />
 
I remember Beattie crowing about how he made it so Boeing was based in Amberley. Someone forgot to tell him it had more to do with mx on Pigs than his charisma. Not sure Andy Peacock would have agreed with him either. http://www.strategypage.com/CuteSoft_Client/CuteEditor/Images/emsmiled.gif" align="absMiddle" border="0" alt="" />
 
Carry on...
 
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Arty Farty       7/7/2009 1:56:40 AM
West of Xmas Island is the Cocos Islands, 2400m runway, ~700nm from Jakarta. Closer to the Bay of Bengal than Diego Garcia.
 
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Arty Farty       7/7/2009 2:03:15 AM
West of Xmas Island is the Cocos Islands, 2400m runway, ~700nm from Jakarta. Closer to the Bay of Bengal than Diego Garcia.
 
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Arty Farty       7/7/2009 2:04:44 AM
Google maps distance calculator

daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm
 
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