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Two more F-35A aircraft delivered to RAAF Base Williamtown

written by WOFA | September 13, 2019

F-35A aircraft A35-015 and A35-016 after arriving at Williamtown on September 10. (Defence)
F-35A aircraft A35-015 and A35-016 after arriving at Williamtown on September 10. (Defence)

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 3 Squadron based at RAAF Base Williamtown has received two more Lockheed Martin F-35As to bring the total number of the fleet to six.

The two aircraft – A35-015 and A35-016 – were ferried from Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and arrived on September 10.

This latest delivery takes 3SQN’s Williamtown-based fleet to six, with the previous four aircraft being delivered in two waves last December and in April 2019.

The new additions will join 3 Squadron’s validation and verification (V&V) effort, an Australian-specific operational evaluation of how the F-35A integrates with the RAAF’s basing infrastructure, networks and other capabilities, and force multipliers.

A successful V&V is a key requirement in order for the RAAF to declare an initial operational capability (IOC) of the F-35A, currently scheduled for late 2020.

F-35A Lightning II aircraft A35-015 arrives at No. 3 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown. (Defence)
F-35A Lightning II aircraft A35-015 arrives at No. 3 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown. (Defence)
The RAAF's newest F-35A Lightning II aircraft A35-016 is marshalled into position at No. 3 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown. (Defence)
The RAAF’s newest F-35A Lightning II aircraft A35-016 is marshalled into position at No. 3 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown. (Defence)

Four more F-35As were expected to be delivered by the end of calendar 2019.

The RAAF was expected to continue to maintain 10 F-35As embedded with the United States Air Force’s (USAF) 61st Fighter Squadron (FS) at the international training centre at Luke AFB until at least the end of 2021.

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In addition to the 10 RAAF F-35As, there were also about 50 pilots and maintenance personnel embedded with the United States Air Force (USAF) led integrated training centre “schoolhouse” there.

In the meantime, No 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU) is due to relinquish its F/A-18A/B “classic” Hornets later in 2019 before a number of its staff deploy to Luke AFB to join the growing RAAF cadre there to transition to the F-35A.


VIDEO: A look at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-35As conducting a flypast along the New South Wales Hunter Coast in December 2018 from the RAAF YouTube channel.

 

Two more F-35A aircraft delivered to RAAF Base Williamtown Comment

  • PS

    says:

    Do they have that ‘new jet smell’

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