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Royal Australian Air Force

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The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF began in March 1914 as the Australian Flying Corps and became a fully independent air force in March 1921. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts including both World Wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. More recently the RAAF participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The motto on the RAAF's coat of arms is the Latin phrase Per Ardua ad Astra, which means "Through Adversity to the Stars", and is the same as the that of the Royal Air Force.

History

World War I

Soon after the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the Australian Flying Corps sent aircraft to assist in capturing German colonies in what is now north-west New Guinea. These colonies surrendered quickly however, before the planes were even unpacked. The first operational flights did not occur until May 27, 1915, when the Mesopotamian Half Flight was called upon to assist the Indian Army in protecting British oil interests in what is now Iraq. The Corps later saw action in Egypt, Palestine and on the Western Front throughout the remainder of World War I. By the end of the war, four squadrons had seen active service.

World War II

File:Raafbadge.jpg
The badge of the RAAF.

In 1939, just after the start of World War II, Australia joined the Empire Air Training Scheme, under which flight crews received basic training in Australia before travelling to Canada for advanced training. A total of 19 RAAF bomber, fighter, reconnaissance and other squadrons served initially in Britain, and/or with the Desert Air Force, in North Africa and the Mediterranean.

With British manufacturing targeted by the Luftwaffe, the Australian government created the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) to supply Commonwealth air forces and the RAAF was eventually provided with large numbers of locally-built versions of British designs like the DAP Beaufort torpedo bomber.

In the European Theatre of World War II, RAAF personnel were especially notable in RAF Bomber Command: they represented two percent of all RAAF personnel during the war, but accounted for 23% of the total number killed in action. This statistic is further illustrated by the fact that No. 460 Squadron RAAF, mostly flying Avro Lancasters, had an official establishment of about 200 aircrew and yet had 1,018 combat deaths. The squadron was therefore effectively wiped out five times over.

The beginning of the Pacific War — and the rapid advance of Japanese forces — threatened the Australian mainland for the first time. The RAAF was quite unprepared for the emergency, and initially had negligible forces available for service in the Pacific. The devastating air raids on Darwin on February 19 1942 drove the point home. Some RAAF squadrons were transferred from the northern hemisphere — although a substantial number remained there until the end of the war. Shortages of fighter and ground attack planes led to the acquisition of US-built P-40 Kittyhawks and the rapid design and manufacture of the first Australian fighter, the CAC Boomerang. RAAF Kittyhawks came to play a crucial role in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands campaigns, especially in operations like the Battle of Milne Bay.

In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, imported Bristol Beaufighters proved to be highly effective ground attack and maritime strike aircraft. Beaufighters were later made locally by the DAP. Although it was much bigger than Japanese fighters, the Beaufighter had the speed to outrun them.

The RAAF's heavy bomber force was predominantly comprised of 287 B-24 Liberators, which could bomb Japanese targets as far away as Borneo and the Philippines from airfields in Australia and New Guinea.

By late 1945, the RAAF had received or ordered about 500 P-51 Mustangs, for fighter/ground attack purposes. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation initially assembled US-made Mustangs, but later manufactured most of those used. The RAAF's main operational formation, the First Tactical Air Force, comprised more than 18,000 personnel and 20 squadrons; it had taken part in the Philippines and Borneo campaigns and was scheduled to participate in the invasion of the Japanese mainland, Operation Downfall. So too were the RAAF bomber squadrons in Europe, as part of the proposed Tiger Force. However, the war was brought to a sudden end by the US nuclear attacks on Japan. As a result of the Empire Air Training Scheme, about 20,000 Australian personnel had served with other Commonwealth air forces in Europe during World War II. A total of 216,900 men and women served in the RAAF, of whom 11,061 were killed in action.

Post War Service

In the Korean War, Mustangs from No. 77 Squadron (77 Sqn), stationed in Japan with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, were among the first United Nations aircraft to be deployed, in ground support, combat air patrol, and escort missions. When the UN planes were confronted by MiG-15 jet fighters, 77 Sqn acquired Gloster Meteors, which enabled some success against the Soviet pilots flying for North Korea. However the MiGs were superior aircraft and the Meteors were relegated to ground support missions, as the North Koreans gained experience. The air force also operated transport aircraft during the conflict.

During the Vietnam War, from 1966-72, the RAAF contributed squadrons of Caribou STOL transport aircraft (No. 35 Squadron), UH-1 Iroquois helicopters (No. 9 Squadron) and English Electric Canberra bombers (No. 2 Squadron). The Canberras flew a large number of bombing sorties, and two were lost. One went missing during a bombing raid, and neither the crew nor the aircraft has ever been located. The other was shot down by a surface to air missile, although both crew were rescued. RAAF transport aircraft also supported anti-communist ground forces. The UH-1 helicopters were used in many roles including Dustoff (medical evacuation) and Bushranger Gunships for armed support.

Military airlifts were conducted for a number of purposes in the intervening decades, such as the peacekeeping operations in East Timor from 1999. Australia's combat aircraft were not used again in anger until the Iraq War in 2003, when F/A-18s from No. 75 Squadron operated in the escort and ground attack roles.

Ranks and uniform

The RAAF uses RAF-derived ranks for both officers and other ranks, with the exceptions that the RAAF do not use the "Technician" ranks of the RAF and the insignia for Leading Aircraftman/Aircraftwoman is a single chevron, rather than a propeller blade, and there is no Senior Aircraftman/Aircraftwoman rank as there is in the RAF. However, unlike their British, Canadian and New Zealand counterparts, they do not wear a blue-grey uniform. The RAAF uniform is a very dark blue with "AUSTRALIA" on slip-on rank epaulettes and worn at shoulder height on each sleeve of the service dress uniform tunic.

Current strength

Aircraft

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Boeing C17
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A F-18 Hornets of the Royal Australian Air Force.
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RAAF C130 NZAF Orion
An Australian F-111
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RAAF Wedgetail aircraft

As of 2005, the following aircraft are operated by the RAAF:

  • 71 F/A-18 Hornet fighters, built in Australia under licence from McDonnell Douglas. The F/A-18 fleet has been the subject of various upgrades since it entered service in the 1980s and remains capable, but fatigue issues mean that it may not remain a viable front-line air defence option until the planned retirement date of 2015, although this is being mitigated through a center barrel replacement program.
  • 35 General Dynamics F-111 bombers, a mixture of the original long-range F-111C type, RF-111C reconnaissance variants, and ex-USAF F-111G attrition replacements. (Due to be decomissioned in 2010 but could be streched to 2012)
  • 50 PAC CT/4 basic trainers - better known as the "Plastic Parrot", owned and operated by BAE Systems.
  • 5 Boeing 707s: four are dual role tanker/transports, one a pure transport. Because of the electoral cost of spending public funds on new VIP transports for politicians, the 707 fleet remained on VIP duties long after the high ongoing maintenance costs made it uneconomic. At one stage, Australian ambassadors had to make a practice of requesting special waivers of the usual aircraft noise regulations from foreign governments prior to official visits. Since the long-term lease of two Boeing 737s, the elderly 707s are now used for military purposes only.

Flying Squadrons

Future equipment

File:RAAF-Roundel.svg
The RAAF Roundel is based on that of the Royal Air Force, with the central circle replaced by a Kangaroo, a symbol of Australia.

This list include aircraft on order or a requirement which has been identified.

In June 2002, the Australian government announced that it had committed to the F-35, an announcement which came as a surprise to the other companies tendering for Australia's Air 6000 specification, intended to replace the RAAF's F-111s and F/A-18s. Eurofighter International was offering its Typhoon and Dassault put forward the Rafale. The unsuccessful bidders' appeals tended to rest on the extent of Australian companies' involvement in manufacture of the planes, which it was said would have exceeded any share of JSF contracts. However, Australia has been pushing to be the site for an Asia-Pacific service centre for the F-35. In addition the quality of the Typhoon and Rafale compared to the F-35 has been called into question by evaluation outside Australia. For more details see: Comparison of 21st century fighter aircraft.

There has been mounting pressure on the Australian government to switch from the F-35 to the F-22 Raptor as the F-35's role as a defensive air-superiority fighter has been called into question.

In May 2005, Defence Minister Robert Hill announced that a final commitment to purchase the JSF would not be made until 2008, replacing an earlier cutoff date in 2006. Preliminary consideration was also being given to switching some of the purchase to the STOVL version, to operate off the Royal Australian Navy's projected helicopter assault ships, effectively turning them into miniature aircraft carriers.
Australian soldiers disembark from a USAF C-17 at RAAF Base Richmond in May 2006

See also

See also

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