All Royal Australian Air Force articles
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In depthGeneral Atomics planning modular family of uncrewed fighters
With plans to show off its offering for the US Air Force at the upcoming Paris air show, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems says it is taking a modular approach to the autonomous fighter concept that will allow customers to easily pick and choose different capabilities for their fleets.
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NewsAustralia confirms ‘informational’ meeting with GCAP fighter partners
The head of capability for the Royal Australian Air Force says his office received an informational briefing from the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) consortium – a trilateral initiative between the UK, Italy and Japan to develop a sixth-generation fighter.
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AnalysisRAAF to deliver options for fielding uncrewed fighters by year’s end
The service’s head of capabilities says that by the end of 2025 the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aims to provide the Australian government with options for procuring a future fleet of uncrewed fighter aircraft, with the indigenously developed Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat being a strong contender.
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NewsRAAF marks 15 years since delivery of the first Super Hornet
Although the F/A-18F Super Hornet was originally envisioned as a stopgap while the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fielded the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A, the service’s air commander now says Australia is seeing great benefits to “generational interactions” between the two fighter types.
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NewsAustralian air force ‘not concerned at all’ about F-35 ‘kill switch’
Amid global concerns about the American-made stealth fighter’s vulnerability to US politics, a senior officer with the Royal Australian Air Force says his service remains fully confident in its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35s.
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NewsBoeing cues up MQ-28A air-to-air missile test
Boeing Defence Australia is planning an air-to-air missile test from its MQ-28A Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft demonstrator, the company’s first known attempt to introduce weapons to the uncrewed platform.
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NewsAustralia to receive ‘first of its kind’ MC-55A Peregrine in 2025
American systems integrator L3Harris is modifying four Gulfstream G550 business jets for service with the Royal Australian Air Force to provide long-range surveillance and electronic warfare capabilities.
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NewsAustralia touts E-7 operational performance as global fleet expands
Australia led the world in fielding the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail, blazing a trail for heavyweights including the US Air Force, UK Royal Air Force and NATO headquarters to procure the airborne early warning and control jet.
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NewsSierra Nevada expanding Australia presence amid AUKUS optimism
The American military systems integrator recently opened a subsidiary based in Adelaide, which will help support Australian acquisition programmes including the Boeing P-8 and Northrop Grumman MQ-4C, while also expanding the domestic production of defence technology.
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AnalysisWashington moves to deepen industrial ties with Australia amid regional tensions
Under an initiative dubbed the Regional Sustainment Framework, the Pentagon aims to push certain maintenance, repair and overhaul functions forward to overseas partners around the Indo-Pacific, with Australia as the initial target.
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NewsAustralian Super Hornets ready to use Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile
A Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet of the Royal Australian Air Force has successfully launched the Lockheed Martin AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), amid concerns about the nation’s maritime security.
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NewsAustralia races to field MQ-4C maritime surveillance fleet amid heightened Chinese naval activity
With its first Northrop Grumman MQ-4C uncrewed aircraft delivered, and two more examples soon to follow, the Royal Australian Air Force plans to have a long-range maritime surveillance capability operational by early next year.
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In depthRAAF combat fleet evolves for a more challenging world
Australia’s combat fleet is at a defining moment for the 21st century, with an ever-darkening geopolitical environment and the emergence of new capabilities.
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In depthL3Harris stays focused on military business jet conversions despite army setback
Although it lost out on a major US Army contract to develop a new long-range surveillance aircraft based on a Bombardier business jet, L3Harris continues to deliver similar aircraft that will be deployed to hotspots like the Korean Peninsula, along with new electronic warfare aircraft for the US Air Force, Italy and Australia.
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NewsNorthrop Grumman prepares to deliver second and third MQ-4Cs to Australia
One of the maritime surveillance UAVs is already in service with the Royal Australian Air Force, with two more examples undergoing final evaluations before delivery.
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In depthBoeing’s big bet on Australia’s MQ-28
The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat is a crucial part of the airframer’s collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) strategy and stands to enhance Australia’s position in the global defence aerospace industry.
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NewsRAAF F-35A fleet complete with arrival of 72nd aircraft
The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35As is complete, with the final batch of jets landing on Australian soil.
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AnalysisWhich types left use during our latest World Air Forces review?
We detail some of the most notable national fleet retirements recorded in the 12 months since we published our last World Air Forces directory at the end of 2023.
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NewsFirst RAAF pilot takes control of MQ-28A Ghost Bat
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) officer has become the first non-Boeing pilot to fly the Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat unmanned air vehicle.
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NewsB-2 stealth bombers make surprise appearance in Australia
Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bombers from the US Air Force completed a transpacific flight from their base in the USA, making a night landing at a Royal Australian Air Force Base in Queensland on 16 August.
