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Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has officially welcomed the latest batch of F-35A Joint Strike Fighters to the Royal Australian Air Force fleet at RAAF Base Williamtown.
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Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the F-35 program is on track to provide Australia with a fifth-generation aircraft that is at the forefront of air combat technology.
“This brings the total number of F-35As that are operating at RAAF Base Williamtown to 13, with another five aircraft based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, USA.
“This is the most advanced, multi-role stealth fighter in the world, which will deliver next-generation capability benefits and provide a major boost to air combat capability,” Minister Reynolds stated.
In addition, the Australian government has approved the next 24 aircraft – meaning all 72 Australian F-35A Lightning II aircraft are now locked in.
Defence has also signed onto an international deal known as the Block Buy Contract, valued in total at US$34 billion, which will deliver 45 of Australia’s F-35A Lightning II aircraft.
“The deal is great news for Australia, with the unit price now 5 percent below the estimate at government approval in 2014,” Minister Reynolds said.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is billed as a catalyst for the fifth-generation revolution, changing the face and capability of the Royal Australian Air Force and the wider Australian Defence Force.
Minister Reynolds added, “The F-35A is a key part of the Morrison government’s $200 billion investment in Defence capability, which includes investing in next-generation air combat capability for Australia.”
For the RAAF, the F-35A’s combination of full-spectrum low-observable stealth coatings and materials, advanced radar-dispersing shaping, network-centric sensor and communications suites – combined with a lethal strike capability – means the aircraft will be the ultimate force multiplying, air-combat platform.
The F-35A – the variant chosen by the RAAF – will have a projected life of 30 years in service.
Ten nations are currently flying F-35s, including the US, UK, Italy, Norway, Israel and Japan. The first of Australia’s F-35A aircraft are now based on home soil after a period of training and development at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona USA, plus an epic Pacific Ocean crossing in December 2018.
More than 340 F-35s are operating today with partner nations, more than 700 pilots and 6,500 maintainers have been trained, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 170,000 cumulative flight hours.
Over the coming years, Australia will purchase 72 of the advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft as part of the $17 billion AIR 6000 Phase 2A/B program – which is aimed at replacing the ageing F-18A/B Classic Hornets that have been in service with the RAAF since 1985.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
