Page 52 - May 2019

On The Radar
Air Force receives latest P-8A Poseidon RAAF to replace VIP

aircraft transport aircraft

Defence has announced that the
Defence Minister Christopher Pyne equipped aircraft will allow RAAF to Royal Australian Air Force will phase
and Defence Industry Minister Linda collect useful data to analyse the life out its fleet of Bombardier CL604
Reynolds recently welcomed the receipt of the aircraft and identify what can be Challengers, which are primarily used
of the Royal Australian Air Force’s latest done to sustain it further." as VIP transport aircraft.
Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Minister Reynolds said the Poseidon The RAAF currently has a fleet of
The P-8A Poseidon is designed for fleet would not only play an important three Challenger aircraft that were
long-range anti-submarine warfare; role in maintaining border security introduced in 2002, however they have
anti-surface warfare; and intelligence, an average age of 16.6 years and are
surveillance and reconnaissance but also in boosting opportunities for due to be replaced.
missions. It is capable of broad-area defence industry and creating jobs. “Following a review, Defence will
maritime and littoral operations. It is "These aircraft will be based and lease three new Dassault Falcon 7X
also effective for humanitarian and sustained at RAAF Base Edinburgh aircraft to replace the three existing
search and rescue missions. in South Australia, creating over 120 Bombardier CL604 Challengers,”
Minister Pyne said this was another jobs by next year. The project is part the Department of Defence said in a
milestone in this important project to of a broader intelligence, surveillance release.
enhance Australia’s maritime security. and reconnaissance precinct being “The Falcon will have reduced
"The Poseidon is a cutting-edge developed at the Super Base, which will operating costs, larger passenger
aircraft that will conduct a range of support and create highly skilled jobs in load, modern communication capability
tasks including anti-submarine warfare; South Australia for decades to come," and increased range and endurance.
maritime and overland intelligence, she added. The Challengers are being replaced
surveillance and reconnaissance and Australia maintains the single- at a natural point in their ageing and
support to search and rescue missions," maintenance cycle.”
he said. largest P-8A training facility outside of A report from FlightGlobal claims
A derivative of the 737-800 Next the US, located at Edinburgh, South that "the three Falcon 7Xs will enter
Generation, the P-8 combines superior Australia. The $470 million facility is service by the third quarter 2019, and
performance and reliability with an part of the government's $5.2 billion operate under the existing budget for
advanced mission system that ensures investment in Australia's P-8A Poseidon the special purpose fleet".
maximum interoperability in the future maritime surveillance and patrol aircraft. The Falcon 7X can accommodate
battlespace. "A workforce of over 4,000 12 to 16 passengers, compared with
The Australian government has Australians has already contributed the nine maximum that the CL604
committed to acquiring 12 P-8A to the broader infrastructure build Challenger can carry.
Poseidon aircraft, with the final aircraft happening at RAAF Base Edinburgh," The Challenger, however, has a
to be delivered by March 2020 and Minister Reynolds added. faster average speed than the Falcon,
maintained at RAAF Base Edinburgh. The eighth aircraft is now undergoing with the trade off of about half the range
Minister Pyne added, "Aircraft as its replacement.
number eight had been identified as its verification and validation flying in the The CL604 Challenger is part of the
RAAF’s long-term fatigue management US, and will join the rest of the fleet in Special Purpose Aircraft fleet, which
aircraft and had been fitted with a raft Australia in mid-June 2019. complements a collection of larger
of diagnostic equipment. This specially Courtesy Defence Connect Boeing Business Jets that provide
transport for the Australian government.
These are operated by No.34
Squadron from Defence Establishment
Fairbairn in the ACT.

One of the new Falcon 7X aircraft
recently arrives at Defence
Establishment Fairbairn, ACT. Photo
SGT Rodney Welch.

The P-8A combines superior performance and reliability.
Photo CPL Craig Barrett.

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