Page 54 - Australian Defence Magazine November 2021

54 AIRPOWER
NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
AIR FORCE’S ISREW SPECIALISTS
The RAAF’s No. 10 Squadron plays a significant part in maintaining Australia’s knowledge edge, providing the only airborne ISREW capability in the whole of the ADF.
ROYA GHODSI | SYDNEY
BASED at Edinburgh in South Australia, 10 Sqn operates two Lockheed AP-3C(EW) Orion aircraft, the oldest cur- rently serving operational aircraft in the RAAF, albeit with modern mission systems.
The RAAF has been flying the P-3 for more than half of its 100 years, since 1968; with the fleet receiving a num- ber of modifications and upgrades over its service history. 10 Sqn is the last P-3 squadron remaining and continues to make a significant contribution alongside the new suite of technologies, platforms and systems that are being in- troduced into RAAF service.
Even as platforms and technologies evolve, the unit con- tinues to be recognised for the outstanding outcomes it
MAIN: 10 Sqn is based at RAAF Edinburgh in SA and currently operates two Lockheed AP-3C(EW) Orion aircraft in the ISREW role
ABOVE: Wing Commander Marija Jovanovich in the cockpit of an AP-3C Orion aircraft
delivers to the joint force. This year it was awarded the Duke of Gloucester Cup by the Chief of Air Force for the Most Proficient Flying Unit in 2020 – the third time it has received the award since the award’s inception in 1947.
“To get the award in the last few years of the life of a capability, when there are all these shiny new platforms around, says a lot about what the squadron does, how it goes about its business, and the high regard in which it is held,” 10 Sqn’s Commanding Officer Wing Commander Marija Jovanovich said.
Adamant that credit should go where credit is due, she added; “This award was for exceptional performance in 2020. While I was at the squadron and deployed on opera- tions with the team, I was not the Commanding Officer. That honour belonged to WGCDR Colin Smith; it was un- der his leadership that 10 Sqn distinguished itself above others to win the Duke of Gloucester Cup.
“When I took command of 10 Sqn in December 2020, I took over the best flying unit in the Royal Australian Air Force. We of course continue to go from strength to strength.”
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