• News
  • Lifestyle
    • Recipes
    • Video
    • Lotto Results
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Sport
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Australian Times News
  • News
  • Lifestyle
    • Recipes
    • Video
    • Lotto Results
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Sport
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Lifestyle
    • Recipes
    • Video
    • Lotto Results
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Sport
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
Australian Times News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

RAAF’s new F-35A Lightning II fleet achieves operational capability

Fighter jets can now be deployed on operations for the first time after they were officially signed off following two years of testing.

Mike Simpson by Mike Simpson
29-12-2020 03:00
in News

Australia’s new fleet of F-35A Lightning II advanced fighter jets can now be deployed on operations with the RAAF after they were signed off as officially achieving Initial Operational Capability.

For the last two years, the Australian Defence Force has been testing the F-35A fleet to assess aircraft and system performance. The fleet is replacing the ageing F/A-18A/B Classic Hornets that have been in service with the air force since 1985.

“The [ADF] now has an F-35A squadron ready to conduct technologically advanced strike and air combat roles, and another squadron dedicated to providing world-class training here in Australia,” defence minister Linda Reynolds said yesterday (Monday).

Key to the country’s air combat capability

“I would like to thank everyone that has worked so hard to get us to this point; to have accomplished all the required testing and materiel delivery is remarkable.”

The fifth-generation F-35A, along with the F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, are key to the country’s air combat capability and critical to achieving the objectives set out in the 2020 Defence Strategic Update.

The F-35 is among the most advanced multi-role stealth fighters in the world and countries that operate the aircraft include the US, UK, Italy, Norway, Israel and Japan.

Variant has projected life of 30 years

The F-35A – the variant chosen by the RAAF – will have with a projected life of 30 years in service.

AlsoRead...

West Virginia leads in getting COVID-19 vaccines

The simple reason West Virginia leads the nation in vaccinating nursing home residents

17 January 2021
Australian troops advance during the battle of El Alamein during World War Two. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Federal funding for groups to help preserve nation’s military history

17 January 2021

According to the website Defence Connect, 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.

“While 2020 presented significant challenges to all of us, and travel restrictions made it difficult to ferry our aircraft to Australia, the huge efforts of Defence, industry and our partners in the United States made [the] achievement possible,” Reynolds stated.

Defence industry played a key role

Her counterpart in the defence industry portfolio, minister Melissa Price, said cooperation with industry had set Defence up for long-term success.

“Our defence industry has played a critical role in achieving [the] milestone, which continues the success story of Australia’s involvement in the F-35 global program,” Price said.

“Just last month we announced that more than 50 Australian companies have shared in $2.7 billion in contracts.

“Australia will continue to work with the United States F-35 Joint Program Office and our industry partners as more aircraft are delivered through to 2023 and a mature capability is achieved.”

Tags: Australian Defence ForceF35A Lightning IIRAAFRoyal Australian Air Force
DMCA.com Protection Status

SUBSCRIBE to our NEWSLETTER

Terms and Conditions

CURRENCY ZONE

Australian Forex

Don't Miss

The simple reason West Virginia leads the nation in vaccinating nursing home residents

by The Conversation
17 January 2021
West Virginia leads in getting COVID-19 vaccines
News

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 136,000 residents and employees of long-term care facilities in the...

Read more

Federal funding for groups to help preserve nation’s military history

by Mike Simpson
17 January 2021
Australian troops advance during the battle of El Alamein during World War Two. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
News

Saluting Their Service grants program provides more than $1-million to community groups that commemorate wartime service of Australians.

Read more

Astronauts are experts in isolation, here’s what they can teach us

by The Conversation
17 January 2021
Lockdown is a challenging experience
News

Astronauts know that by choosing to fly in space, they are going to have to live, work and play under...

Read more

UK Weather forecast, alerts and UVB index, Sunday 17 January 2021

by UK Weather
17 January 2021
weather
UK Weather

Be prepared for any weather with our daily forecast in the UK.

Read more

WA man now facing 247 charges over international online ‘sextortion’

by Mike Simpson
17 January 2021
Photo credit: Australian Federal Police
News

Man pretended to be a teenage social media celebrity in order to blackmail girls into providing him with sexually explicit...

Read more

Outdated carbon credits from old wind and solar farms are threatening climate change efforts

by The Conversation
17 January 2021
Outdated carbon credits
News

At least 15 airlines including EasyJet, British Airways and Emirates have announced major carbon offset schemes. Even BP has declared...

Read more

Vaccines alone aren’t enough to eradicate a virus – lessons from history

by The Conversation
16 January 2021
The glorification of the COVID vaccines
News

The current vaccination campaigns are not attempting to eradicate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. But, based on the history...

Read more
Load More

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status

  • About us
  • Write for Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • T&Cs, Privacy and GDPR
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Lifestyle
    • Recipes
    • Video
    • Lotto Results
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Sport
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status