Development register
| Reference programme | Historical basis | Commonwealth development route | National status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAC CA-15 | Australian piston-fighter prototype, flown in 1946 | Preserve the team and test facilities; use its aerodynamic and production work to bridge into national jet engineering | Research and limited demonstrator fleet; not a modern frontline jet |
| BAC TSR-2 | British strike/reconnaissance prototype flew in 1964; programme cancelled in 1965 | Seek licensed engineering knowledge and Commonwealth test-team access; feed terrain-following, crew systems and strike research into Canberra successors and F-111 integration | Technology programme; a separate TSR-2 production fleet is not included in the established inventory |
| General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B | US carrier prototype programme, first flight in 1965; discontinued in 1968 | Study carrier handling, landing mass and deck geometry; fund a purpose-built F-111N redesign rather than treating F-111B as already operational | National F-111N family enters service in the 1980 block after a distinct development programme |
| Dassault Mirage 4000 | French twin-engine prototype first flew on 9 March 1979 | Acquire a research partnership for endurance, structure and radar integration; compare with US naval and land-based fighter lineages | Long-range fighter demonstrator branch; no automatic fleet-wide adoption |
| Northrop YF-23 | US advanced-fighter demonstrator programme of 1990; rival design won selection in 1991 | Seek a negotiated 1990s research partnership; build national low-observable, sensor and high-speed endurance studies for the 2000s | Southern Cross advanced-aircraft research; prototype status until national operational acceptance |
| A-4K Project Kahu and CT/4 industrial base | New Zealand avionics upgrade and aircraft manufacturing/training experience | Expand New Zealand cockpit, mission-computer and simulator teams; make them Commonwealth suppliers rather than minor maintenance contractors | Operational avionics/training lineage and continuing upgrade centre |
| Nuclear cruiser and submarine studies | Allied nuclear ships supplied multiple engineering lineages rather than one universal hull | Design new Commonwealth reactor-qualified hulls with local combat systems; evaluate later foreign quieting and electrical architecture | Commissioned domestic generations remain distinct from imported reference ships |
| Uncrewed wingman and maritime drone programmes | Australian and allied demonstrators of the 2010s–2020s | Retain national autonomy, electronic-protection and mission-software teams; New Zealand supplies sensors, simulation and verification | Development and trials alongside piloted aircraft; not retrospectively operational in 1995 |
Design discipline
The programme preserves talent without assuming that every cancelled prototype was ready for mass production. Funding buys test airframes, tooling, rights, engineering time and verification. High-risk designs compete with mature allied equipment, and unsuccessful branches can still supply useful methods, materials or software. Different engines, radar sets and carrier adaptations are separate programmes with costs and qualification milestones.
Australian and New Zealand roles
CAC remains a continuous national airframe and integration institution. The Australian electronics network supplies mission hardware and radar/EW work. New Zealand contributes aircraft production, training, cockpit integration and simulation, with North/South Island teams retaining separate regional institutions after 1996. Naval yards and research institutes develop local ship combat systems and maintain reactor-qualified specialist teams.
Reference collections
Museums Victoria CA-15 collection: Historical source
RAF Museum TSR-2 collection: Historical source
Dassault Mirage 4000 history: Historical source
US Air Force Museum YF-23 record: Historical source
US Naval Aviation Museum F-14 / F-111B development record: Historical source