News Review: Goodbye... and Welcome | ADM Feb 2011

Just five days after farewelling the last of its F-111 strike aircraft, the RAAF declared Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for its growing fleet of F/A-18F Super Hornets.

The Amberley-based fleet grew to 15 aircraft with the arrival on 8 December of four new aircraft.

The latest arrivals included the first three of Super Hornets configured to accommodate the F/A-18G ‘Growler’ electronic attack system.

No decision has been taken as yet to acquire the Growler capability but 12 of the RAAF’s Super Hornets are being wired to enable this if necessary.

The Super Hornets will serve until 2023 to maintain Australia’s air combat capability until the full introduction into service of the Joint Strike Fighter.

The Super Hornets have reached initial operational capability on time and on budget, says Defence.

“As we close a chapter of Australian military history today – we open another,” defence materiel minister Jason Clare said during the F-111 retirement ceremony on 3 December.

“From today the F-111’s place in the skies will be taken up by a new aircraft, also based here at Amberley.”

The Super Hornet’s manufacturer, Boeing, has also been responsible for through-life support of the F-111 at Amberley since 1996 and has designed, developed and delivered technologies and modifications under the F-111 Weapons System Business Unit (WSBU) contract signed in 2001.

The WSBU contract was the largest contract of its type awarded by the Commonwealth at the time and covered all major upgrades to the fleet’s airframe, avionics and weapons systems, including:

• providing airframe maintenance from R1 through R5 level

• providing system analysis, design, modification and testing

• designing and integrating software and hardware to support the AGM-142 missile, the ADF’s first stand-off air-to-ground

• modifying radar warning systems.

Boeing also implemented fuel tank repair and wing recovery programs and operated the cold proof load test facility.