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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #354 SEPTEMBER 2017 // 23

Australasia

Super Hornet upgrade approved

THE US government has

approved upgrades to the

Royal Australian Air Force’s

(RAAF’s) fleet of F/A-18F

Super Hornets, valued at

$101.4m. Australia’s 24

Super Hornets will receive

new communications and

defensive aids systems for

enhanced interoperability

with the US Navy. The

US Defense Security

Co-operation Agency

(DSCA) announced the

upgrade on July 11.

The deal covers the new

equipment plus testing,

training, and support. The

Australian government

has requested the sale

of 32 Multifunctional

Information Distribution

System Joint Tactical Radio

Systems (MIDS JTRS) with

four-channel concurrent

multi-network (CMN-4),

and 39 AN/ALQ-214A(V)4

countermeasures systems.

According to a DSCA

statement: “The proposed

sale will improve Australia’s

capability in current and

future coalition efforts.

This equipment will help

the Royal Australian Air

Force better communicate

with and protect its

F/A-18 aircraft, and the

addition of MIDS JTRS will

accomplish the goal of

making US and Australian

aircraft more interoperable

when supporting

operational forces.”

Above: F/A-18F A44-223 of No 1 Squadron over Mosul during a recent Operation Okra mission.

RAAF Super Hornets have been conducting strikes over the Iraqi city as part of Operation Eagle

Strike to clear it of so-called Islamic State fi ghters. FLT LT Trent/Commonwealth of Australia

Australian

G550 deal

approved

THE US government has

approved Australia’s

request to acquire

Gulfstream G550

aircraft with Airborne

Intelligence, Surveillance,

Reconnaissance, and

Electronic Warfare

(AISREW) mission systems

at an estimated cost of

$1.3bn. The Defense

Security and Co-operation

Agency (DSCA) issued

a Foreign Military Sales

notification on June 26.

The Australian

government requested

the possible sale of

up to five modified

G550s. As well as

AISREW mission systems,

the package includes

GPS capability, secure

communications, aircraft

defensive systems;

spares, including whole

life costs of airborne

and ground segments;

aircraft modification

and integration;

ground systems

for data processing

and crew training

and ground support

equipment. The prime

contractor will be L3

Communication Systems

at Greenville, Texas.

Upgraded

RAAF Hawk

in service

THE RAAF has begun

pilot training using

upgraded Hawk Mk127 jet

trainers. No 79 Squadron

at RAAF Base Pearce,

Western Australia, has

begun training on the

modernised aircraft, which

introduce new capabilities

including simulated radar,

electronic warfare, digital

mapping, ground proximity

warning system and traffic

collision avoidance. The

upgrade also replaces

two legacy synthetic

training devices with three

full mission simulators

provided by CAE. Initial

operating capability for the

Lead-In Fighter Capability

Assurance Program

(LIFCAP) was recognised

during a ceremony at

RAAF Base Williamtown

on July 5. To date, a joint

team of BAE Systems

and RAAF technicians has

upgraded 12 of the 33

aircraft. The full fleet will

be upgraded by early 2019.

Last RAAF KC-30A begins fl ight-testing

THE SEVENTH KC-30A

Multi-Role Tanker

Transport (MRTT) for

the RA AF took off from

Madrid-Barajas Adolfo

Suárez International

Airport on July 28 for a first

test flight. The aircraft,

carrying registration

MRTT040, is the second

ex-Qantas Airways Airbus

A330-203 modified as

an MRTT for the RA AF.

In July 2015 Canberra

placed an order for two

more MRTTs to increase

the RA AF tanker fleet

from the initial five

aircraft to seven. The

latest aircraft arrived at

the Airbus plant at Getafe

in November 2015. Soon

after arriving it departed

Getafe for Madrid for

tanker conversion work

in the Iberia workshops,

including installation of

the Airbus Refuelling

Boom System (ARBS),

two Cobham 905E

refuelling pods and the

Universal Aerial Refueling

Receptacle Slipway

Installation (UARRSI).

The aircraft will go to

Manching, Germany

to be painted in RA AF

colours prior to delivery

in 2018. Roberto Yáñez

RAAF Growler

fl eet complete

THE RA AF has received

its full complement of

12 EA-18Gs, purchase of

which was announced

in May 2013 at a cost of

$1.14bn. The final aircraft

arrived at RA AF Base

Amberley, Queensland

on July 7, to be welcomed

by Minister for Defence

Marise Payne and Air

Vice Marshal Steven

Roberton, Air Commander

Australia. After a first

flight in July 2015, the first

two Growlers arrived in

Australia in February. The

aircraft serve with No 6

Squadron at Amberley.

To date, Australian

Growlers have conducted

successful weapon firings

and integration flights

with RA AF F/A-18Fs

and US Navy EA-18Gs

as part of operational

test and evaluation.

The RA AF will declare

initial operating capability

with the EA-18G in 2018,

followed by full operating

capability in 2022.

Third RAAF F-35A takes shape

THE THIRD F-35A (A35-

003) for the RAAF is

under construction at

the Lockheed Martin

production line at Fort

Worth, Texas. Australian

Ambassador to the US

Joe Hockey signed the

bulkhead of the aircraft

on the assembly line

during a visit on July 19.

The aircraft is the first

F-35 to be assembled for

Australia since the first

two RAAF F-35As were

delivered in 2014. It is

the first of the next batch

of eight Australian F-35As

currently in production

at Fort Worth. The

fighter is scheduled for

delivery to Luke Air Force

Base, Arizona, in early

2018, where it will be

used for F-35 pilot and

maintainer training until

permanently relocating

to Australia in 2020.

Above: EA-18G A46-309

from No 6 Squadron fl ying

to Shoalwater Bay to

participate in air operations

for Exercise Talisman Saber

2017, which took place

between late June and

late July. SGT Peter Borys/

Commonwealth of Australia

A330 MRTT040 (ex VH-EBI, c/n 898)

lands at Getafe on July 28. It will

become A39-007 after delivery to No

33 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley.

Roberto Yáñez