Page 104 - Australian Defence Magazine Dec-Jan 2021

104 PROJECTS AIR
DECEMBER 2020 – JANUARY 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT FOR AIR PROGRAMS
Despite difficulties to travel and transportation caused by COVID-19, the last year has been another busy one in the Air domain.
NIGEL PITTAWAY | MELBOURNE
SEVERAL significant programs continue to deliver capability, others progress through the various approvals stage and ADM understands that further announcements in this re- gard will be made early in the New Year.
Looking further ahead, the release of the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and Force Structure Plan documents on July 1 has provided an interesting glimpse into Air Force’s thinking around the future threats it considers it will need to address and the capability it will require to do so.
F-35A
The Air 6000 Phase 2A/B (New Air Combat Capability) program continued its ramp up over the past year, with 25 F-35As delivered to the Australia by May 2020, and 30 by December.
An important milestone was achieved in January 2020, with the completion of Australia’s F-35A training mission in the US. All aircraft and personnel associated with the initial pilot and ground crew training programs at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona have now returned to Williamtown.
“Exercise Lightning Ferry in November 2020 brought nine F-35As home to Williamtown following withdrawal from the Pilot Training Centre in the US, supported by three KC-30A
aircraft from No.33 Sqn at RAAF base Amberley,” explained a Defence spokesperson to ADM. “Exercise Lightning Ferry showed how Air Force can move the Lightning fleet across the Region, if required by Government.”
The first operational fighter squadron (3 Sqn) and No.2 Operational Conversion continue to ramp up at William- town, ahead of a declaration of Initial Operational Capability (IOC), due in early 2021. By January all RAAF F-35A training will be conducted at Williamtown and the second operational squadron (77 Sqn) was due to formally stand down as a Hor- net unit as these words were written in early December.
77 Squadron will begin working up as an F-35A squadron in January 2021 and all remaining Hornets will be concen- trated at RAAF Tindal with 75 Sqn until this latter unit com- mences its own transition to the F-35A in December 2021.
“There are some forecast delays for some aircraft sched- uled for delivery in 2021, with most expected to be deliv- ered no more than two months later than contracted,” the spokesperson added. “As 2020 draws to a close there are now 30 F-35As at Williamtown, and an additional two have been accepted in the US with another acceptance immi- nent – almost half of the planned 72-strong F-35A fleet have been delivered.”
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