Combat Aircraft – September 2019

a unit in Richmond, New South Wales,

supported federal government scienti c

research. By 1977, all ARDU functions were

consolidated at Edinburgh where it resides

today, with satellite  ights stationed

around the country to support resident

RAAF units.

Over the years, the ARDU has been

organized under di erent branches of the

RAAF, re ecting evolving requirements

over time. With the conceptualization

of ‘Plan Jericho’ — the RAAF’s

transformation strategy to shape itself

as a  fth-generation force — a roadmap

was laid out to maximize the capabilities

of new and upcoming platforms,

including the F-35A, EA-18G Growler,

P-8A Poseidon and MQ-4C Triton. In

recognition of the key role it would play

in this signi cant transformation, the

ARDU became a subordinate squadron

of the Test and Evaluation Directorate

within the Air Warfare Centre (AWC) in

January 2016. Under this restructure,

army aviation elements within the unit

were disbanded and reformed within the

Australian Army, leaving the ARDU as a

wholly RAAF out t.

http://www.combataircraft.net // September 2019 71

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