This is a list of the current Royal Australian Air Force aircraft in operation:
Current aircraft[]
| Aircraft Type | Unit Operating | Number of Aircraft | Origin | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat aircraft | ||||
| Boeing F/A-18A/B Hornet multirole fighter | No. 3 Squadron | 71 |  United States
|
|
| No. 75 Squadron | ||||
| No. 77 Squadron | ||||
| No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit | ||||
| Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighter | No. 1 Squadron | 24 | United States
|
|
| No. 6 Squadron | ||||
| Patrol aircraft | ||||
| Lockheed AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft | No. 10 Squadron | 19 |  Australia
|
|
| No. 11 Squadron | ||||
| AEW&C aircraft | ||||
| Boeing E7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft | No. 2 Squadron | 6[1] | United States Australia
|
|
| Transport aircraft | ||||
| Boeing C-17 Globemaster heavy transport | No. 36 Squadron (RAAF Base Amberley) | 6 | United States
|
|
| Lockheed C-130J Hercules medium transport | No. 37 Squadron (RAAF Base Richmond) | 12 | United States
|
|
| Airbus KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport | No. 33 Squadron (RAAF Base Amberley) | 5 |  Spain
|
|
| Boeing BBJ (Boeing Business Jet) VIP transport | No. 34 Squadron (Defence Establishment Fairbairn) | 2 | United States
|
|
| Bombardier Challenger CL-604 VIP transport | No. 34 Squadron (Defence Establishment Fairbairn) | 3 |  Canada
|
|
| Beechcraft King Air 350 light transport | No. 38 Squadron (RAAF Base Townsville) | 8 (This aircraft is considered an interim capability to cover the retirement of the de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou and the introduction of its replacement under the much troubled Project Air 8000 Phase 2.) | United States
|
|
| Training aircraft | ||||
| Pilatus PC-9/A advanced trainer | Central Flying School (RAAF Base East Sale)[2] | 65 | Australia
|
|
| No. 2 Flying Training School (RAAF Base Pearce) | ||||
| Forward Air Control Development Unit (RAAF Base Williamtown). | ||||
| BAe Hawk 127 lead-in fighter trainer | No. 76 Squadron (RAAF Base Williamtown) | 33 |  United Kingdom
|
|
| No. 79 Squadron (RAAF Base Pearce). | ||||
| Beechcraft King Air 350 light transport | No. 32 Squadron (RAAF Base East Sale) | 8 | United States
|
|
| Unmanned Aerial Vehicle | ||||
| IAI Heron UAV | Joint RAAF-Army unit (The aircraft are both leased from the Canadian firm Macdonald Dettwiler and Associates.[3] Training on the UAVs is provided by a third aircraft operated by No. 5 Flight RAAF.[4]) | 3 |  Israel
|
|
Future acquisitions[]
Air 6000 Ph2A/2B: Lockheed F-35A prototype
- AIR 6000: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II multirole fighter[5][6]
- 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 additional F-35A fighters planned for purchase. 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.
- A possible total of 100 F-35As are to be purchased under Project Air 6000 to replace the Hornets and Super Hornets.
Air 7000 Ph2B: P-8A and P-3C
- AIR 7000: ADF Maritime ISR capability replacement[7]
- Programme to replace the AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft with a manned 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 manned portion is introduced.
- AIR 7000, Phase 2B: Purchase of 8 Boeing P-8A Poseidon manned MPA has been given first-pass approval for service entry from 2018.
- Programme to replace the AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft with a manned MPA/UAV mix.
- AIR 8000: Battlefield Airlift[8]
- Programme to replace or purchase additional air transport aircraft.
- AIR 8000, Phase 2: Purchase of about 10 tactical medium-sized aircraft to replace the de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou. The Australian Defence Minister has announced the purchase of 10 C-27J Spartan and not the C-295 [9][10] (procurement dragged on for over a decade since original Air 5190 requirement). The Spartans are due to start arriving in 2015.
- Programme to replace or purchase additional air transport aircraft.
- AIR 5428: Pilot Training System[11]
- Programme to replace PC-9/A training aircraft and training syllabus.
- Air 5428, Phase 1: Unknown number of advanced training aircraft, along with flight training screening and syllabus. Aircraft numbers are to be determined by the winning bidder, but aircraft type selected by RAAF.
- Programme to replace PC-9/A training aircraft and training syllabus.
See also[]
- Boeing C-17 Globemaster III in Australian service
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules in Australian service
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet in Australian service
Notes[]
- ↑ Waldron, Greg. "RAAF receives final Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft". Flight International, June 5, 2012.
- ↑ "Pilatus PC-9/A trainer" (url). RAAF Website. Archived from the original on 2008-03-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20080329045121/http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/aircraft/pc9a.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
- ↑ Walters, Patrick (8 September 2010). "Heron on the wing to guide Diggers". http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/heron-on-the-wing-to-guide-diggers/story-e6frg6so-1225770412272. Retrieved 7 September 2010.
- ↑ McLaughlin, Andrew (April 2010). "Nankeen. The RAAF enters the UAV era with Heron lease". Fyshwick: Phantom Media. pp. p. 31. ISSN 0813-0876.
- ↑ "JSF Joint Strike Fighter". Royal Australian Air Force website. Archived from the original on 2008-02-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20080227030640/http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/aircraft/jsf.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
- ↑ "Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft AIR 6000 Phase 2A/B". Defence Materiel Organisation. May 2011. http://www.defence.gov.au/dmo/jsf/. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
- ↑ "AIR 7000 Phase 1B/2B". Defence Materiel Organisation. June 2011. http://www.defence.gov.au/dmo/asd/air7000/air7000.cfm. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
- ↑ "AIR 8000 Battlefield Airlift". Defence Materiel Organisation. December 2010. http://www.defence.gov.au/dmo/id/dcp/html_dec10/air/AIR8000.html. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
- ↑ [|Smith MP, Stephen] (2012-05-10). "New Battlefield aircraft for the Air Force". Minister for Defence and Minister for Defence Materiel – Joint Media Release. Commonwealth of Australia. http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/2012/05/10/minister-for-defence-and-minister-for-defence-materiel-joint-media-release-new-battlefield-aircraft-for-the-air-force/. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
- ↑ Ellery, David (2012-05-10). "New airlifters confirmed for RAAF". smh.com.au: Fairfax Media. http://www.smh.com.au/national/new-airlifters-confirmed-for-raaf-20120510-1ydyg.html. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
- ↑ "AIR 5428 Ph 1 Pilot Training System". Defence Materiel Organisation. December 2010. http://www.defence.gov.au/dmo/id/dcp/html_dec10/air/AIR5428.html. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
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