List of current Royal Australian Air Force aircraft

Last updated

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

Contents

Current aircraft

An Australian EA-18G in 2017 Australian EA-18G at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in 2017.jpg
An Australian EA-18G in 2017
AircraftUnit operatingNumber of aircraftOrigin
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)
24United 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)10Italy
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)8United 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)2United States
Dassault Falcon 7X VIP transport No. 34 Squadron (Defence Establishment Fairbairn)3France
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)
33United Kingdom
Beechcraft King Air 350 navigation & specialised trainer No. 32 Squadron (RAAF Base East Sale)12United States
Remotely piloted aircraft
MQ-4C Triton No. 92 Wing 1 (3 on order) [11] [12] United States
MQ-28 Ghost Bat TBD8 (10 Block 1s and 3 Block 2s on order) [13] [14] Australia

Heritage aircraft

CAC CA-18 Mustang of the Air Force Heritage Squadron CAC CA-18 Mk.23 Mustang, RAAF Museum JP6950877.jpg
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. [15] 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. [16]

Future acquisitions

A F-35 taking off during the Australian International Airshow RAAF F-35 taking off during the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition 2017.jpg
A F-35 taking off during the Australian International Airshow
Air 7000 Ph2B: P-8A and P-3C P 8 and P 3 over Pax River.jpg
Air 7000 Ph2B: P-8A and P-3C

See also

Notes

B ^ The aircraft are leased from the Canadian firm Macdonald Dettwiler and Associates. [25] Training on the UAVs is provided by a third aircraft operated by No. 5 Flight RAAF. [26]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Australian Air Force</span> Air warfare and space branch of the Australian Defence Force

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton</span> Maritime version of RQ-4 Global Hawk

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAAF Base Tindal</span> Royal Australian Air Force base near Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Combat Group RAAF</span> Force element group of the Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force's Air Combat Group (ACG) is the group which administers the RAAF's fighter and bomber aircraft. ACG was formed on 7 February 2002 by merging the RAAF's Tactical Fighter Group and Strike Reconnaissance Group in an attempt to improve the speed with which the RAAF can deploy its combat aircraft.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 5 Flight RAAF</span> Military unit

No. 5 Flight was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft flight which was equipped with IAI Heron unmanned aerial vehicles. It was established in 2010 to operate Herons in Afghanistan. Following the withdrawal of the Heron detachment from that country in 2014, conducted training missions in Australia to maintain the RAAF's expertise in operating unmanned aerial vehicles until more advanced types are delivered. The Herons were retired in June 2017, and the flight was disbanded by the end of that year.

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References

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