Defence Update

Hornet Programme Gears up for 1984 First Delivery

The first of Australia’s 75 McDonnell DouglasF-18 Hornets to be seen in local skies should be rolled out for test flying at Avalon Air Base near Melbourne in November next year (1984). Actually the third in the Australian order, its components will be manufactured in the United States, put together there, and then disassembled and flown to Australia. In June next year a US Air Force C-5 Galaxy w,11 the plane in packing crates for re-assembly at the Government Aircraft Factory at Avalon. This process will take from June until November. The Mach 1. 9 twin-jet interceptor actually will be numbered ATF3 in the project now estimated to cost some $3. 4 billion in December 1982 prices. Many of the components for ATF4 also will be produced in the US, and be flown to Australia later in 1984 for complete assembly as the early part of the learning curve at GAF

The first two RAAF Hornets fully assembled in the US will be ready for test flying and handing over to RAAF pilots in the US in October next year. They will be used to train RAAF instructors in the US for the OCU at Williamtown base in 1985. These two jets are scheduled to be ferried to Australia in April 1985. A number of RAAF pilots already are gaining experience in flying F-18s by serving on exchange duty with US Navy and Marine Squadrons.

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