Australian Aviation — January 2018

34 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION

Facilities
RAAF Williamtown is also going
through some massive changes to
accommodate the new aircraft.
“There’s a combination of new
works there,” AVM Roberton said.
“I would argue that since I walked
onto the base in December 1990,
Williamtown really hadn’t changed
much. We had some new facilities
for Surveillance Response Group, but
that’s about it. But more recently it has
fundamentally changed shape, and it’s
really exciting.”
The new F-35 facilities are being
built north of the airfield, and will
comprise new hangars for each of the
three squadrons, a state-of-the-art
training centre, new covered hard
stands and ramp area, and a new
ordnance loading area (OLA). The
runway is also receiving a 340m
extension to allow for de-rated or non-
afterburner takeoffs and displaced
threshold landings from the west.
These facilities are designed to
support the higher classification and
security requirements of the F-35,
and as such have multiple access
layers and more compartmentalised
areas compared to the current Hornet
facilities.
“It’s not a small undertaking,”
said AVM Roberton. “Clearly, if the
buildings weren’t ready we could still
operate, but not nearly as effectively
from the old buildings. The aim is to
have the infrastructure in place so that
there’s no impediment to getting that
first generation of F-35 and our people
up and operating.”
New F-35 facilities and a runway
extension will also be built at RAAF

Tindal as that base is transformed to

also operate the MQ-4C Triton and

better accommodate the planned

increased numbers of US military

aircraft. The ‘bare’ bases at Scherger,

Curtin and Learmonth will also receive

upgrades to their operational areas.

Classic drawdown

Current planning sees 2OCU

relinquish its Hornets next, probably

in 2019-20 once 3SQN has returned

with its F-35s and the requirement for

classic Hornet crew conversions and

upgrades ends. 77SQN is scheduled

to retire its Hornets in 2020-21, with

75SQN following a year after that.

The consolidated Hornet fleet

will start to be drawn down in steps

to roughly align with each squadron

achieving IOC with their F-35s.

“There are lines in the sand, but

they are soft lines by necessity,”

explained AVM Roberton. “We

need to retain the option and

flexibility to meet any contingency

or government-directed tasking. But

while the classic Hornet is an older

airframe it is still a very, very capable

jet. It’s dropped a couple of thousand

weapons in the Middle East over

thousands of missions, so it’s proven to

remain a very capable platform.

“We will retain the classic Hornet

until the last point and, at government

direction, and when we’ve got

sufficient confidence that the F-35 and

support system is ready, we’ll let it go.

We’re looking at about a squadron a

year, but we’ve got flexibility according

to what other tasking we might receive

or whatever direction government

might take us.”

One of those government

directions was the sale of 18 classic

Hornets to Canada. Defence Minister

Senator Marise Payne confirmed

on December 13 that Australia had

agreed to sell 18 jets to Canada to

bolster that country’s own classic

Hornet fleet until it can decide on a

more permanent replacement.

The Minister’s release said the

first two aircraft would be transferred

in early 2019, subject to “country of

origin (ie US) export approvals.”

But all 18 aircraft are unlikely to

be delivered in a large group over a

short period of time, due to Australia’s

requirement to maintain a viable air

combat capability until 3SQN achieves

IOC with the F-35.

Said AVM Roberton before the

Canadian announcement: “So, there

are soft gates, and we will retain at

least one squadron available through

until the end of 2022. But we’ll hit

a tipping point with 75SQN Tindal

being the last one designated to

transition.”

The future

The F-35 will form the backbone of

the RAAF’s fighter and strike force

for the next 30 years, and as such, the

whole air force is being restructured to

accommodate what will be a new way

of doing business.

The RAAF now has three F-35s

flying, there are another seven to

follow in 2018, and then deliveries will

ramp up at roughly 15 jets per year

until 2022 when the initial order of 72

aircraft is due to be completed.

“We’re very confident in the

aircraft,” said AVM Roberton. “All the

‘There are

lines in the

sand, but

they are soft

lines.’

AVM STEVE ROBERTON

The F-35 has “very, very similar”

handling qualities and power to

the classic and Super Hornet,

according to WGCDR Clare.

DEFENCE

A classic farewell. When

3SQN ceased classic Hornet

operations on December 8, the

squadron made an impressive

formation flyover of Newcastle

before recovering into

Williamtown.DARREN MOTTRAM

TO THE FUTURE