Carrier aviation programme
By 1982 the Commonwealth has achieved its mature three-nuclear-carrier force. Carrier groups rotate between the principal maritime theatres and major maintenance, while two future carrier programmes maintain the construction and design pipeline. The fleet's growth makes heavy naval aviation a national industrial programme rather than an occasional aircraft purchase.
The Australian naval F-111 family develops during the 1970s for these larger carriers and begins its first service block in 1980. It requires its own naval airframe engineering, reinforced handling and recovery arrangements, and defined operating weight limits. A heavy F-111 cannot be assumed to operate from a small historical carrier merely because both aircraft and carrier exist in a game.
The Navy controls embarked operations and maritime doctrine. The Air Force supplies a substantial part of the aircrew training, land-based support and long-range strike organisation. CAC remains a major manufacturer and integrator, working with allied designers rather than replacing every foreign component with a wholly Australian invention.
Aircraft roles
Four branches of the family preserve the roles already established for the Naval Wing programme.
| Aircraft | Main role | Defining equipment and employment |
|---|---|---|
| F-111N WaterPig | Fleet defence and interception | Long-range air-to-air weapons, defensive missiles, M61 Vulcan and external fuel options |
| FB-111N MudPig | Maritime strike and bombing | The broadest period weapon selection, Harpoon fits, the original three-station internal bay and M61 Vulcan |
| RF-111N SprintPig | Reconnaissance and electronic intelligence | Fast reconnaissance, defensive missiles, M61 Vulcan and a Mach 3 development |
| EF-111N ScreamPig | Electronic attack and suppression of air defences | Two physical external ECM pods and two offensive ECM systems, with period defensive and suppression weapons |
The FB-111N remains the all-rounder. Its anti-ship, heavy anti-ship and long-range anti-ship fits preserve the original bay arrangement. The later service editions improve weapons, flight systems and mission equipment as an ongoing Australian investment programme. The 1980, 1985, 1995 and 2003 blocks are chronological editions rather than four different political timelines.
Falklands and later commitments
When the Falklands War begins in 1982, Australia supports Britain directly. A nuclear carrier group and supporting vessels join the Atlantic commitment, while Australian intelligence, transport and replenishment assist the wider operation. One other carrier group maintains the principal Pacific deployment and the third remains within the readiness and maintenance cycle. The commitment therefore has a real cost in regional coverage and reserve mobilisation.
British sovereignty over the islands is restored, but the Australian contribution is substantially larger. The campaign strengthens ties with London and validates the Commonwealth's ability to sustain forces far from home. It also reveals the importance of replenishment ships and dependable communications, even for a nuclear-powered fleet.
During the remainder of the decade, Soviet naval activity and regional conflicts keep the fleet busy. Parliamentary disputes centre on the duration of overseas commitments, the cost of new nuclear ships and how much classified expenditure the public can reasonably scrutinise. The government retains its security doctrine, but its parties increasingly disagree about implementation.