The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-General of Australia is the de jure Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force is commanded by the Chief of Air Force (CAF), who is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). The CAF is also directly responsible to the Minister for Defence, with the Department of Defence administering the ADF and the Air Force.
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner; it is easily distinguished from the Electra by its distinctive tail stinger or "MAD" boom, used for the magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) of submarines.
The Lockheed CP-140 Aurora is a maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The aircraft is based on the Lockheed P-3 Orion airframe, but mounts the electronics suite of the Lockheed S-3 Viking. "Aurora" refers to the Roman goddess of dawn who flies across the sky each morning ahead of the sun. Aurora also refers to the Aurora Borealis, the "northern lights", that are prominent over northern Canada and the Arctic Ocean.
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800 airliner. It was developed for the United States Navy (USN).
Patrol Squadron 10 (VP-10) is a United States Navy Patrol Squadron based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is nicknamed the "Red Lancers" and is equipped with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon. It is the third squadron to be designated VP-10. The first VP-10 was redesignated VP-2D15 on 21 September 1927 and the second VP-10 was redesignated VP-25 on 1 July 1939.
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is an American high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed for and flown by the United States Navy and Royal Australian Air Force as a surveillance aircraft. Together with its associated ground control station, it is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, the Triton is intended to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions (ISR) over vast ocean and coastal regions, continuous maritime surveillance, conduct search and rescue missions, and to complement the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
No. 5 Squadron RNZAF is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It operates the Boeing P-8 Poseidon from RNZAF Base Ohakea. The squadron was formed during the Second World War and has since been in continuous operation. A number of maritime patrol aircraft have been operated by the squadron over the course of its existence including the Short Singapore, Consolidated PBY Catalina, Short Sunderland and the Lockheed P-3 Orion.
No. 10 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) signals intelligence (SIGINT) squadron based at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia. It is part of No. 92 Wing RAAF. The squadron was formed in 1939 as a maritime patrol unit. It saw active service during the Second World War, conducting anti-submarine operations and patrols from bases in the United Kingdom until it disbanded in late 1945. It was re-formed in Australia in 1949 and since then has contributed to Australia's East Timor intervention, and has been deployed to the Middle East as part of the War on Terrorism and the 2003 Gulf War. Most recently it now has a signals intelligence mission.
No. 11 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) maritime patrol squadron based at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia. It was formed in 1939 and has seen active service in World War II, East Timor, the War on Terrorism and the 2003 Gulf War. The squadron became known to the public through its participation in the Great Southern Ocean rescues of wrecked sailors, such as Tony Bullimore and Isabelle Autissier.
No. 292 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operational conversion unit based at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia. The squadron was formed on 1 January 1977 as the Maritime Analysis Training Squadron and renamed No. 292 Squadron on 27 October 1980. Throughout its history it has formed part of No. 92 Wing and been responsible for training aircrew to operate the RAAF's Lockheed P-3 Orion and Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. It took responsibility for training Poseidon maintenance and operations personnel in 2018.
No. 9 Squadron is a unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The squadron was formed in early 1939 and saw active service in World War II as a fleet co-operation unit providing aircrews for seaplanes operating off Royal Australian Navy cruisers. It was disbanded in late 1944, but was re-raised in 1962 and later became an Army co-operation unit, flying helicopters in support of Australian troops during the Vietnam War. The squadron was disbanded in 1989 when the RAAF transferred its battlefield helicopters to the Australian Army's aviation regiments. It was re-raised in June 2023 to operate Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Tritons.
No. 42 Wing is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) wing responsible for supporting the service's Boeing E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. It was first formed in February 1943, and commanded RAAF radar stations in north Queensland and the south coast of Dutch New Guinea until being disbanded in October 1944. It was re-raised in its current role in 2006.
The Lockheed AP-3C Orion is a variant of the P-3 Orion used by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for tasks such as naval fleet support, maritime surveillance, search and survivor supply and anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. The 18 AP-3C Orions were upgraded from P-3Cs between 1997 and 2005, with the program taking three years longer than expected due to systems integration problems. All 18 AP-3C Orions are operated by No. 92 Wing which is based at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia. Aircraft from the wing have seen service as part of Australian Defence Force operations in Australia, South East Asia and the Middle East.
Patrol Squadron Eight (VP-8) is a U.S. Navy land-based patrol squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida (USA). VP-8 is tasked to undertake maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The Squadron is equipped with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon.
VX-20, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Twenty, is a United States Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
Patrol Squadron 30 (VP-30) is a maritime patrol squadron of the United States Navy, established on 30 June 1960. It is based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.
Unmanned Patrol Squadron ONE NINE (VUP-19) is an unmanned patrol squadron of the United States Navy, nicknamed the "Big Red" and established on 1 October 2013.
Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45) is a maritime patrol squadron of the United States Navy. The squadron was established on 1 November 1942 and is based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Since 2014, VP-45 is equipped with the Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft.
