List of current Royal Australian Air Force aircraft

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This is a list of the current Royal Australian Air Force aircraft in operation:

Current aircraft[edit]

An Australian EA-18G in 2017
Aircraft Unit operating Number of aircraft Origin
Combat aircraft
Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth multirole fighter aircraft No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit (RAAF Base Williamtown)

No. 3 Squadron (RAAF Base Williamtown)

No. 77 Squadron (RAAF Base Williamtown)

No. 75 Squadron (RAAF Base Tindal)

63 in service (72 total ordered) United States
Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter aircraft No. 1 Squadron (RAAF Base Amberley)
 24 United States
Patrol aircraft
Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and anti submarine warfare aircraft No. 11 Squadron (RAAF Base Edinburgh) 12 (2 on order)[1] United States
AEW&C and EW aircraft
Boeing E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft No. 2 Squadron (RAAF Base Williamtown) 6[2] Australia
Boeing EA-18G Growler Electronic Warfare aircraft No. 6 Squadron (RAAF Base Amberley) 12[3] United States
MC-55A Peregrine Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare (ISREW) aircraft Surveillance and Response Group (SRG) (RAAF Base Edinburgh) 4 on order [4] United States
Transport aircraft
Alenia C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifter No. 35 Squadron (RAAF Base Amberley) 10 Italy
Lockheed C-130J Hercules medium transport No. 37 Squadron (RAAF Base Richmond) 12 (20 on order to replace and expand current fleet)[5] United States
Boeing C-17 Globemaster heavy transport No. 36 Squadron (RAAF Base Amberley) 8 United States
Airbus KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport No. 33 Squadron (RAAF Base Amberley) 7 (1 VIP configured[6]) Spain/France
Boeing BBJ (Boeing Business Jet) VIP transport No. 34 Squadron (Defence Establishment Fairbairn) 2 United States
Dassault Falcon 7X VIP transport No. 34 Squadron (Defence Establishment Fairbairn) 3 France
Beechcraft King Air 350 light transport No. 32 Squadron (RAAF Base East Sale) 12[7] United States
Helicopters
AgustaWestland AW139 SAR helicopter RAAF Base Amberley

RAAF Base East Sale

RAAF Base Pearce

RAAF Base Tindal

RAAF Base Williamtown[8]

6 (contracted with CHC Helicopter)[9] Italy
Training aircraft
Diamond DA40NG Australian Air Force Cadets 8 (under civilian registrations) Austria
Pilatus PC-21 Central Flying School (RAAF Base East Sale)

No. 2 Flying Training School (RAAF Base Pearce)

No. 4 Squadron (FAC training) (RAAF Base Williamtown)

49[10] Switzerland
BAe Hawk 127 lead-in fighter trainer No. 79 Squadron (RAAF Base Pearce)
No. 76 Squadron (RAAF Base Williamtown) 		33 United Kingdom
Beechcraft King Air 350 navigation & specialised trainer No. 32 Squadron (RAAF Base East Sale) 12 United States
Remotely piloted aircraft
MQ-4C Triton No. 92 Wing 6 on order; 1 more planned[11][12] United States
Loyal Wingman (Boeing Airpower Teaming System) TBD 1 (6 prototypes to be acquired) [13] Australia

Heritage aircraft[edit]

CAC CA-18 Mustang of the Air Force Heritage Squadron

Ownership of 12 historic aircraft was transferred from Temora Aviation Museum to the RAAF in July 2019; they continue to be maintained by museum staff but operated by the RAAF as the Temora Historic Flight with pilots inducted into the RAAF Reserve.[14] No. 100 Squadron was reformed in March 2021 as the Air Force Heritage Squadron to operate airworthy warbirds based at the RAAF Museum and Temora.[15]

Future acquisitions[edit]

A F-35 taking off during the Australian International Airshow
  • AIR 6000: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II multirole fighter[16][17]
    • A possible total of 100 F-35As are to be purchased under Project Air 6000 to replace the Hornets and Super Hornets.
      • AIR 6000, Phase 2A/2B, Stage 1: 14 F-35A fighters have been approved for purchase for service entry from 2014.
      • AIR 6000, Phase 2A/2B, Stage 2: 58 F-35A fighters have been approved for purchase bringing total on order to 72 aircraft. Stage 1&2 will replace all F/A-18A/B fighters in service.
      • AIR 6000, Phase 2C: around 28 additional F-35A fighters planned for purchase. These will replace all F/A-18F fighters in service.
Air 7000 Ph2B: P-8A and P-3C
  • AIR 7000: ADF Maritime ISR capability replacement[18]
    • Programme to replace the AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft with a crewed MPA/UAV mix.
      • AIR 7000, Phase 1B: Purchase of 7 high altitude, long endurance maritime surveillance UAV. The MQ-4C Global Hawk was originally selected for the role, but the decision has been delayed until after the crewed portion is introduced.
      • AIR 7000, Phase 2B: Purchase of 8 Boeing P-8A Poseidon crewed MPA has been given first-pass approval for service entry from 2018.
  • AIR 5428: Pilot Training System[19]
    • Programme to replace PC-9/A training aircraft and training syllabus.
      • Air 5428, Phase 1: 49 Pilatus PC-21 ordered in 2015 for entry into service by 2019.[20]
  • Project AIR 555: Gulfstream G550
    • In late 2015 the RAAF ordered two Gulfstream G550 aircraft to be delivered by 30 November 2017. The aircraft will be used for signals and electronic intelligence gathering.[21] Both Australian Aviation and FlightGlobal have reported that the aircraft will possibly form the replacement for the electronic intelligence-gathering role performed by 2 of RAAF's AP-3 Orions.[21][22]
    • In March 2019, Defence Minister Christopher Pyne claimed that Australia will acquire four modified Gulfstream G550 business jets to strengthen the country's electronic warfare capabilities.[23] The $2.46 billion acquisition of the 4 G550s will be designated as the MC-55A Peregrine variant. It will be operated by the RAAF's Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (SRG).

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

B ^ The aircraft are leased from the Canadian firm Macdonald Dettwiler and Associates.[24] Training on the UAVs is provided by a third aircraft operated by No. 5 Flight RAAF.[25]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Two more P-8A Poseidon aircraft boosts maritime patrol capability".
  2. ^ Waldron, Greg. "RAAF receives final Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft". Flight International, 5 June 2012.
  3. ^ McLaughlin, Andrew (1 October 2021). "Australia to buy one Growler attrition aircraft". ADBR. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  4. ^ Hartigan, Brian (18 March 2019). "RAAF buys four MC-55A Peregrine – for $2.46billion". contactairlandandsea.com. Contact Publishing.
  5. ^ Wright, Shane (23 July 2023). "Australia to spend $10 billion on new fleet of Hercules planes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Inside 'Shark One': Scott Morrison's new $250MILLION plane is revealed after a commercial Jetstar Airbus A330 is transformed into a 100-seater tanker for the prime minister". www.msn.com. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  7. ^ "KA350 King Air". Royal Australian Air Force. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  8. ^ "CHC awarded RAAF SAR contract extension". Australian Aviation. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  9. ^ "CHC introduces half dozen AW139s for RAAF work". Business Air News. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  10. ^ Hartigan, Brian (6 December 2019). "RAAF welcomes final PC-21 to East Sale". CONTACT magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Australian Government, Defense Department, 2016 Integrated Investment Program, p.32" (PDF).
  12. ^ Jamie Tarabay. "Australia invests in unmanned spy drones to fly over South China Sea". CNN. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Australia makes another order for Boeing's Loyal Wingman drones after a successful first flight". Defence News. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  14. ^ "May 2019 News". Temora Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  15. ^ "RAAF re-establishes No. 100 Squadron". Department of Defence. 6 February 2021.
  16. ^ "JSF Joint Strike Fighter". Royal Australian Air Force website. Archived from the original on 27 February 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  17. ^ "Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft AIR 6000 Phase 2A/B". Defence Materiel Organisation. May 2011. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  18. ^ "AIR 7000 Phase 1B/2B". Defence Materiel Organisation. June 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  19. ^ "AIR 5428 Ph 1 Pilot Training System". Defence Materiel Organisation. December 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  20. ^ "Lockheed's "Team 21" finally confirmed as AIR 5428 winning bidder". Australian Aviation.
  21. ^ a b "Defence confirms acquisition of two ISR and EW Gulfstreams". Australian Aviation. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  22. ^ Waldron, Greg (4 January 2016). "L-3 G550 contract suggests new Australian surveillance deal". Flightglobal. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  23. ^ "RAAF to get four modified Gulfstream G550s for electronic warfare support". Australian Aviation. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  24. ^ Walters, Patrick (8 September 2010). "Heron on the wing to guide Diggers". The Australian. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
  25. ^ McLaughlin, Andrew (April 2010). "Nankeen. The RAAF enters the UAV era with Heron lease". Australian Aviation. No. 270. Fyshwick: Phantom Media. p. 31. ISSN 0813-0876.

External links[edit]

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