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Eight Air Force Special Operations Command personnel were killed in the crash last week, which came four months after another Osprey went down on Melville Island 60km from Darwin during Exercise Predators Run in August, killing three Marines.
The grounding, which affects an unspecified number of Defence’s Spartan aircraft, comes after the US Coast Guard suspended use of all 14 of its Spartans, finding that each had cracks of “varying degrees” and saying they would remain grounded until a “thorough evaluation” was completed.
The projects include the $662.2 million RAAF Base Learmonth Redevelopment Enabling KC-30A Operations at Exmouth, Western Australia. The works include airfield upgrades to support KC-30A operations and improve overall airfield resilience.
It was a hard slog, but the proof is in the pudding following an announcement by NATO's Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) that it will work with the United States Government via a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case to acquire 6 Boeing E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Wedgetail aircraft.
This milestone achievement marks major progress as Northrop Grumman and the RAAF proceed towards delivery of the first aircraft in 2024. The first flight lasted approximately six hours and 24 minutes and included a range of tests, namely airworthiness evaluations such as engine, flight control and fuel system checks.
This milestone flight marks the first, public successful flight of a sixth-generation combat aircraft, with Northrop Grumman describing the aircraft as the world’s “first sixth-generation aircraft” and a major step change for the US Air Force’s global strike capabilities.
