Current Royal Australian Air Force Aircraft

----This is a list of the Current RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) Aircraft in operation as of 2008:

Current Aircraft

Transport aircraft

*DHC-4 Caribou light transport
**The Caribou is operated by No. 38 Squadron from RAAF Base Townsville.
**There are currently 14 Aircraft in operation.
**All Caribous will be retired in 2009, several years earlier than expected. [cite news|url=http://www.australianaviation.com.au/aaexpress.htm|title=Australian Aviation Express. Issue 241.|date=2008-09-29|publisher=Phantom Media|accessdate=2008-09-29]
*C-130 Hercules medium transport
**The Hercules is operated by No. 37 Squadron, based at RAAF Base Richmond, near Sydney.
**There are currently 24 aircraft in operation.
*C-17 Globemaster heavy transport
**The Globemaster is operated by No. 36 Squadron from RAAF Base Amberley.
**There are currently four aircraft in operation.
*Challenger CL-604 VIP transport
**The Challenger is operated by No. 34 Squadron, based at Defence Establishment Fairbairn in Canberra.
**There are currently five aircraft in operation.
*BBJ (Boeing Business Jet) VIP transport
**The BBJ is operated by No. 34 Squadron, based at Defence Establishment Fairbairn in Canberra.
**There are currently two aircraft in operation.

Training aircraft

*Pilatus PC-9/A trainer
**The Pilatus is operated by Central Flying School at RAAF Base East Sale in Victoria, No. 2 Flying Training School at RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia [cite web |url=http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/aircraft/pc9a.htm |title=Pilatus PC-9/A trainer |accessdate=2008-03-31 |format=url |work=RAAF Website ] and Forward Air Control Development Unit at RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle in New South Wales.
**There are currently sixty-seven aircraft in operation.
*Hawk fighter trainer
**The Hawk 127 is operated by No. 76 and No. 79 Squadrons of the RAAF.
**There are currently thirty-three aircraft in operation.
*King Air 350 multi-role trainer and transport
**The King Air 350 is operated by No. 32 Squadron.
**There are currently four aircraft in operation.

Combat aircraft

*F/A-18 Hornet fighter
**The F/A-18 is operated by No. 3, No. 75 and No. 77 squadrons and by No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit.
**There are currently 71 aircraft in operation.
*F-111 strike aircraft
**The F-111 is operated by No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron.
**There are currently 21 aircraft in operation.

Patrol aircraft

*AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft
**The Orion is operated by No. 92 Wing, located at RAAF Base Edinburgh.
**There are currently twenty aircraft in operation.

Refuelling aircraft

*KC-30B Multi-Role Tanker Transport
**The first aircraft of five on order was delivered to Australia in May 2008.

Future acquisitions

*Wedgetail(AEW&C) aircraft
**Six Boeing 737s are to be modified with state-of-the-art radar and surveillance equipment which will improve Australia's air combat capability, provide added air defence support for Australia's naval fleet and perform duties such as border protection and search and rescue. They will be operated by No. 2 Squadron and be based at RAAF Base Williamtown.
**The Wedgetail is planned to be introduced by early 2009.

*KC-30B Multi-Role Tanker Transport
**Five KC-30Bs will replace the five Boeing 707s from 2009 and will be operated by No. 33 Squadron.
**The KC-30B will have the capability of transporting troops domestically or internationally, refuelling F-111s, F/A-18 Hornets, Wedgetails and Joint Strike Fighters.

*F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter
**Twenty-four Super-Hornets will replace the remaining F-111s by 2010.
**The Super Hornets are to maintain Australia's level of air superiority until the F-35 Lightning II is introduced by 2013.

*F-35 Lightning II
**An estimated one hundred F-35As are to replace the Super Hornets and F-111s from 2013. [cite web |url=http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/aircraft/jsf.htm |title=JSF Joint Strike Fighter |accessdate=2008-03-13 |format= |work=Royal Australian Air Force website ]

Notes

References

http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/aircraft/index.htm