Robert Dougherty

The latest delivery by United States Air Force C17 Globemaster III aircraft at RAAF Base Richmond in Sydney in July brings the Australian Army’s UH-60M Black Hawk fleet to eight.

The RAAF has already hosted German military aircraft and personnel during the recent air combat training activity, Exercise Pitch Black, in the Northern Territory.

The deal was announced at the 34th AUSMIN summit in Maryland and will specifically see RAAF Base Learmonth added to the bases utilised.

The official clarification came in response to recent speculation that the MQ-28A Ghost Bat drone would not carry weapons and instead be shifted to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles.

It was the biggest Pitch Black in the exercise’s 43-year history with missions of more than 50 aircraft at a time in one of the world’s largest military training areas.

Revealed at RAAF Base Tindal by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, the MQ-4C Triton is a high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft that will provide persistent surveillance across Australia’s maritime approaches.