The F-35A Lightning II is the Australian Defence Force's first fifth-generation air combat capability. It is a highly advanced multi-role, supersonic, stealth fighter which will meet Australia's requirements to defeat current and emerging threats. The F-35A is at the forefront of air combat technology.
The F-35 Lightning II is the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) premier 5th Generation fighter that will meet Australia's requirements to defeat emerging threats for decades to come.
"The F-22 Raptors have arrived in the Northern Territory as part of the EAC Program," AVM Goldie said. “This program has been in place since 2017, which builds on a broad range of long-standing air exercises and training activities undertaken between Australia and the United States.
BAE Systems Australia plays a vital role in the global sustainment of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft — the world's most advanced fighter jet. We sustain the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) fleet of F-35 fighter jets. By 2024, the RAAF will have 72 of these aircraft.
Australia has purchased 72 Lockheed F-35A jets to form three squadrons, with all aircraft scheduled to be fully operational this year.
Air Force has 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets which, in conjunction with F-35A Lightning II's and EA-18G Growlers, ensure that Australia's air combat capability edge is maintained.
The RAAF provides support across a spectrum of operations such as air superiority, precision strikes, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, air mobility, space surveillance, and humanitarian support. The RAAF has 252 aircraft, of which 84 are combat aircraft.
DIGITAL. The F-35 is the country's newest fighter, bought to replace the RAAF's F/A-18A/B Classic Hornets that were in service since 1985 and retired in late 2021. Over the coming years, Australia will purchase 72 as part of the $17 billion AIR 6000 Phase 2A/B program, with all expected to be fully operational by 2023.
1 Wing was an Australian Flying Corps (AFC) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) wing active during World War I and World War II. The wing was established on 1 September 1917 as the 1st Training Wing and commanded the AFC's pilot training squadrons in England until April 1919, when it was disbanded.
Located 30 kilometres north of Newcastle, RAAF Base Williamtown is Australia's main fighter pilot training base and houses most of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighters.
The U.S. military has access to all major ADF training areas, northern Australian RAAF airfields, port facilities in Darwin, Fremantle, Stirling naval base in Perth, and the airfield on the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean.
The Air Force proposed retiring the training F-22s in its fiscal year 2024 budget request because they no longer accurately represent the frontline Block 35, which is the combat-coded and -configured version of the fighter.
By Julian Bajkowski. Force projection may have been a major theme of the recent Defence Strategic Review, but the ability of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to replenish Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-15J and F-15DJ Eagle jets has just been officially paraded for the first time.
The RAAF's F-35A Initial Operational Capability (IOC) was attained in December 2020, and 60 of the 72 aircraft ordered have already been delivered. The remaining 12 aircraft will reach Australia before the end of this year. The Australian fleet of F-35s accumulated over 23,000 flight hours by the end of 2022.
Two US Air Force (USAF) Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bombers will operate in Australia until the end of August. This is the first deployment of B-2 bombers to Australia as part of the Bomber Task Force (BTF).
1. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is the pinnacle of the United States' fifth-generation fighter development. Ever since entering production in 2006, the F-35 has embodied the latest in combat aircraft development.
The United States of America maintains the strongest Air Force in the world by an impressive margin. As of late 2021, the United States Air Force (USAF) is composed of 5217 active aircraft, making it the largest, the most technologically advanced, and the most powerful air fleet in the world.
F-35A Lightning II | Air Force.
No. 34 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force operates the current VIP fleet of two 737 Boeing Business Jets and three Challenger 604s for use by members of the government; in particular the governor-general, prime minister and other ministers.
The retired F/A-18s are sitting in a hangar at the Williamtown RAAF base outside Newcastle. Washington's approval is needed because it owns the intellectual property on the jets that have been retired by the RAAF and which are being replaced by F-35s, of which Australia has ordered 72.
The Australian Government has officially named the first domestically produced uncrewed combat aircraft as 'MQ-28A Ghost Bat'.
The F-35A aircraft will be based permanently at two main operating bases (MOBs), RAAF Base Williamtown (New South Wales) and RAAF Base Tindal (Northern Territory). RAAF Base Williamtown will host two operational squadrons and one training squadron and will operate F-35A aircraft for up to 240 days a year.
The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.2567 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 06/04/2023. *PwrIndx: Each nation is assessed on individual and collective values processed through an in-house formula to generate its 'PwrIndx' (Power Index) score.
The world's 12th largest economy
Strong growth in 2021 solidified Australia's position as the world's 12th largest economy in 2021. Nominal GDP was around A$2.2 trillion (US$1.6 trillion) in 2021. Australia is home to just 0.3% of the world's population, but accounts for 1.7% of the global economy.
We are one of the largest and most sophisticated naval forces in the Pacific region, with a significant presence in the Indian Ocean and worldwide operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions.