Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare have announced that Australia has sent a letter of request (LOR) to the US government for the possible purchase of 24 more Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets for the RAAF. The announcement coincided with a declaration of final operational capability (FOC) for the RAAF’s extent
The New Zealand government will soon issue tenders for replacements for the RNZAF’s CT-4E and King Air training aircraft. The RNZAF’s 13 CT-4Es used for basic training are scheduled to reach their service life by the end of 2018, which coincides with the conclusion of a five-year lease package from Hawker Pacific for four King
Airbus Military’s A400M is closer to civil certification after completing a 32-day, 300-hour function and reliability flight testing program. Using a production-representative aircraft – the sixth A400M – 52 flights were made to complete the functional tests in advance of the aircraft proceeding to full type-certification testing by regulatory authorities. It is anticipated full civil
Airbus Military has delivered the fifth and final A330 MRTT to the RAAF. The aircraft, designated by the RAAF as the KC-30A, will enter service with 33SQN at Amberley. The tanker transport aircraft, a derivative of the successful A330, incorporates two underwing refuelling pods, a rear-fuselage refuelling boom and an integrated universal receptacle enabling it
Thirty-four years of operational service have come to end for the C-130H, with the retirement of the aircraft from active service at a formal ceremony at RAAF Base Richmond on November 30. The aircraft have played an invaluable role since 1978 supporting defence personal on operation, humanitarian airlifts and missions as varied as airdropping hay
The last RAAF AP-3C Orion on operational duty in the Middle East area of operations has been welcomed home to Australia. Orions from 92 Wing based at RAAF Edinburgh were first deployed in 2003 to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support to forces in the Middle East, including Iraq, the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. More
