RAAF Transfers F-35 Training From USA To Australia

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RAAF F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft started leaving Luke AFB

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) started training on the F-35A Lightning II at Luke AFB (AZ) in December 2014. The aircraft were operated by the 61st Fighter Squadron 'Top Dogs' (56th Fighter Wing). After five years, in December 2019, they have started returning its pilots, maintainers and aircraft to RAAF Base Williamtown (NSW). Since 2014, 34 Australian pilots and 16 instructor pilots have earned their certification, and as of January 2020, the RAAF owns 20 F-35As.

In the future, all Australian pilots and maintainers will train in Australia with the 2nd OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) at RAAF Base Williamtown. According to Wing Commander Jordon Sander, 61st FS Australian Senior National Representative and the new commander of the 2nd OCU, Luke AFB is the RAAF’s F-35A delivery point, and Australian pilots will return several times a year to ferry the country’s new fifth generation fighters to Australia. The ferrying missions will continue until the RAAF receives its last F-35A Lightning II in 2023.

The RAAF plans to transition one of its existing units into an operational fighter wing within the next three years. Scramble Magazine assesses this most probably will be 81 Wing at RAAF Base Williamtown (NSW), consisting of two squadrons; 3sq 'Operta Aperta (Secrets Revealed)' and 77sq 'Swift to Destroy'. F-35A Lightning IIs have already been noted with 3 Squadron markings. The other unit, 77sq, still operates the F/A-18A and F/A-18B Hornet.

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