List of current Royal Australian Air Force aircraft
This is a list of the current Royal Australian Air Force aircraft in operation:
Current aircraft
Combat aircraft
Patrol aircraft
AEW&C aircraft
Transport aircraft
- Boeing C-17 Globemaster heavy transport
- The Globemaster is operated by No. 36 Squadron from RAAF Base Amberley.
- There are currently 5 aircraft in operation, with the 5th aircraft delivered in September 2011.
- A sixth aircraft is to be purchased. A request for costs and availability for a FMS purchase has been made.[2] It would cost $300 million.[3]
Training aircraft
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Future acquisitions
- AIR 6000: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II multirole fighter[8][9]
- A possible total of 100 F-35As are to be purchased under Project Air 6000 to replace the Hornets and Super Hornets.
- AIR 6000, Phase 2A/2B, Stage 1: 14 F-35A fighters have been approved for purchase for service entry from 2014.
- AIR 6000, Phase 2A/2B, Stage 2: 58 additional F-35A fighters planned for purchase. Stage 1&2 will replace all F/A-18A/B fighters in service.
- AIR 6000, Phase 2C: around 28 additional F-35A fighters planned for purchase. These will replace all F/A-18F fighters in service.
- AIR 7000: ADF Maritime ISR capability replacement[10]
- Programme to replace the AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft with a manned MPA/UAV mix.
- AIR 7000, Phase 1B: Purchase of 7 high altitude, long endurance maritime surveillance UAV. The MQ-4C Global Hawk was originally selected for the role, but the decision has been delayed until after the manned portion is introduced.
- AIR 7000, Phase 2B: Purchase of 8 Boeing P-8A Poseidon manned MPA has been given first-pass approval for service entry from 2018.
- AIR 8000: Battlefield Airlift[11]
- Programme to replace or purchase additional air transport aircraft.
- AIR 8000, Phase 2: Purchase of about 10 tactical medium-sized aircraft to replace the de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou. Candidates are the C-27J Spartan and C-295 (procurement has dragged on for over a decade since original Air 5190 requirement, so may never happen).
- AIR 8000, Phase 4: The purchase of a fifth C-17 Globemaster, which was delivered September 2011. The purchase of a sixth has been proposed by the Department of Defence.
- AIR 5428: Pilot Training System[12]
- Programme to replace PC-9/A training aircraft and training syllabus.
- Air 5428, Phase 1: Unknown number of advanced training aircraft, along with flight training screening and syllabus. Aircraft numbers are to be determined by the winning bidder, but aircraft type selected by RAAF.
Notes