The first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-35A Lightning II pilot is due to commence training in the US, Defence announced on Monday. Squadron Leader Andrew Jackson is about to undergo an intensive training program as he prepares for his first flight in the aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. SQNLDR Jackson, who was selected
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Air Task Group (ATG) has clocked up 3,500 hours of combat operations during which it has destroyed 61 targets after 100 days of playing its part in the international effort to disrupt and degrade the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The ATG has been conducting regular
The RAAF is to shortly replace its Air Task Group (ATG) which is deployed to Al Minhad Air Base, UAE, from where it is has been taking part in anti-ISIL combat operations over Iraq as part of Operation Okra. Ahead of their return home to Australia some of the 400-personnel strong first Air Task Group were visited by Chief of
The RAAF has accepted the first two of 10 C-27J Spartan tactical airlifters onto the Commonwealth register, and commenced maintenance training on the aircraft at L-3’s facility at Waco in Texas on December 8, and aircrew training with instructors from L-3 Communications on December 15. The milestone is the latest in the RAAF’s effort to
The first RAAF Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II arrived at Luke AFB near Phoenix in Arizona on December 18 to join the USAF-led training pool there. F-35A A35-002 (AU-2) was flown by a USAF pilot, and was welcomed to Luke by the Australian air attache to Washington AIRCDRE Gary Martin, the first Australian F-35 pilot
The Pentagon has announced Australia and Japan as the preferred F-35 Lightning II airframe and engine maintenance and upgrade locations for the Asia-Pacific region. The announcement was based on Australia’s and Japan’s industrial capacities to conduct work over and above their own F-35 fleet requirements, as well as considerations such as forward basing, aircraft phasing, and