http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #359 FEBRUARY 2018 // 23
Australasia
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NEWS at [email protected]ONE OF the RAAF’s C-27Js
has been painted in special
markings to celebrate 75
years since establishing
No 35 Squadron. The unit
operates the type from
RAAF Base Richmond,
New South Wales, as
part of 84 Wing. Spartan
A34-006 carries large ‘75
YEARS’ titles across the
base of the fin, while the
tail flash includes a high-
visibility orange wallaby
motif. The latter is similar
to the design worn by
the squadron’s Caribou
transport aircraft from the
1970s through to the 1990s.
No 35 Squadron was
formed at RAAF Base
Pearce, Western Australia,
on March 11, 1942 and
throughout its entire career
has been responsible for arange of airlift operations.
The first of the unit’s
ten C-27Js arrived at
Richmond on June 25,- The tenth and final
RAAF aircraft, A34-010,
departed from the factory
in Turin, Italy, on October 3
heading for L-3 Aerospace
Systems-Platform
Integration in Waco,
Texas, where outfitting
will be completed before
delivery. On December5 last year, an agreement
was signed with Northrop
Grumman to provide
through-life support for
RAAF C-27Js, for which the
company has teamed with
Leonardo. Dave AllportSuper
Hornets
prepare to
return from
Middle
East
SIX ROYAL Australian Air
Force (RAAF) F/A-18F
Super Hornets deployed
to the Middle East on
Operation Okra were
due to return home in
January, marking the end
of air strike operations
against so-called Islamic
State (IS, or Daesh)
in Iraq and Syria.
The decision came
after Prime Minister of
Iraq Haider al-Abadi
declared his country’s
liberation from IS early
in December and was
announced by the
Australian Department
of Defence on the 22nd.
Minister for Defence,
Senator Marise Payne,
said: “The battlefield
success against Daesh
means our own Operation
Okra has now reached
a natural transition point
and our strike aircraft
will begin returning home
early in the New Year.
“Since October 2014,
our Hornet pilots and
support personnel
have made a significant
contribution in support
of the Iraqi Security
Forces and I commend
all the Australian Defence
Force personnel who
have contributed over
this period for their
dedication, skill and
professionalism.
“Australia’s Air Task
Group has made a valued
contribution to coalition
operations against Daesh
that is highly regarded
by the US, Iraq and
coalition partners.”
The strike aircraft
deployed as part of
the Air Task Group
conducted more than
2,700 sorties against
IS targets in both Iraq
and eastern Syria.
RAAF E-7A Wedgetail
and KC-30A refuelling
aircraft will continue
to support coalition
operations. Australia
will also continue its
training mission, which
involves around 300
personnel at Task Group
Taji and around 80
personnel in a Special
Operations Task Group.Sixth RAAF P-8A prepares for delivery
Above: P-8A Poseidon A47-006 at Seattle’s Boeing Field. Joe G Walker
THE SIXTH P-8A for the
RAAF is under test at
Seattle’s Boeing Field/
King County International
Airport, Washington.
The Poseidon, A47-006/N849DS (c/n 63182/line
no 6468) was noted at
the facility in December.
The aircraft completed its
maiden flight on August
25 at Renton MunicipalAirport, Washington
before being flown to
Boeing Field for mission
systems integration.
The RAAF has ordered
12 Poseidons to date,including the first four of a
planned seven additional
aircraft – the acquisition
of these follow-on aircraft
was announced in the 2016
Defence White Paper.Fifteenth RAAF PC-21 takes fl ight
PRODUCTION OF the
PC-21 for Australia
continues and the first
15 aircraft have been
completed. The fifteenth
aircraft, A54-015 (c/n 248,
HB-HWO), is seen returning
to the Pilatus factory
airfield at Stan-Buochs,
Switzerland after its first
flight on December 13.
Under the AUS$1.2bn
Australian Defence Force
Pilot Training System deal,
signed in December 2015,
Lockheed Martin Australia
is delivering 49 PC-21s
to the RAAF, along with
seven flight simulators,
learning aids, coursewareand support for an initial
seven-year term.
The first RAAF PC-21
made its maiden flight
at Stans-Buochs on July21, 2016, followed by the
second on August 8 of
the same year. The first
two aircraft commenced
their delivery flight fromSwitzerland on February
10 last year. The initial
training courses on the
type are scheduled to
begin early next year.Stephan WidmerNo 35 Squadron C-27J celebrates anniversary
Above: No 35 Squadron C-27J A34-006 on the ramp at RAAF Base Richmond on November 29,
showing off the unit’s 75th anniversary markings. Commonwealth of Australia/Cpl David Gibbs