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Workers at RAAF Base Williamtown will service and prepare up to 46 retired F/A-18 Classic Hornet aircraft that will be sold to air combat training company Air USA.
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The Classic Hornet aircraft will be used to provide training services to the United States Air Force and will be prepared over the next three to four years.
Minister for Defence Industry, Melissa Price, said the work will provide employment certainty for workers in the NSW Hunter region.
“The work to prepare these aircraft and components for sale will provide 24 direct industry jobs while Air Force transitions from the Classic Hornet to the F‑35 Joint Strike Fighter,” Minister Price said.
“This highlights the strong performance of the region’s defence industry in servicing and maintaining the Classic Hornets over the past 30 years.”
“Apart from the jobs directly supported by the work at RAAF Base Williamtown, more defence industry jobs are expected to be created across Australia through repair and overhaul work on aircraft servicing components.”
The RAAF Classic Hornet fleet is being progressively retired as the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter is introduced into service. The Morrison government has now taken delivery of 20 Joint Strike Fighters, out of a total order of 72.
The initial order of 75 Hornets was placed in November 1981. The order consisted of 57 single-seat F/A-18As and 18 two-seat F/A-18Bs. The Hornet provided the Royal Australian Air Force with a giant leap in technology at the time.
Based at RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, the F/A-18A/B Hornets have been operated by:
- Number 3 Squadron, RAAF Base Williamtown;
- Number 75 Squadron, RAAF Base Tindal;
- Number 77 Squadron, RAAF Base Williamtown; and
- Number 2 Operational Conversion Unit, RAAF Base Williamtown for pilot training.
