Australia Deploys Wedgetail to the Middle East as Iran Drone Threat Grows

Australia has announced the deployment of a Boeing E-7A Wedgetail to the Middle East in a move aimed at strengthening regional defenses against Iranian drones and missile threats.

The deployment marks a significant contribution by Australia to the growing international effort to protect airspace and critical infrastructure across the Gulf region as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.

While Canberra has stressed that the mission is strictly defensive, the capabilities being deployed are strategically important.

Early Warning Against Drones and Missiles

The Wedgetail is one of the most advanced airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms currently in service. Built on the Boeing 737 airframe, the aircraft carries a powerful active electronically scanned array radar capable of detecting aircraft, cruise missiles and drones at long distances.

In the current operational environment, where Iranian drone swarms and missile launches have become a central feature of the conflict, early detection is critical.

By providing real-time situational awareness, the Wedgetail allows allied aircraft and ground-based air defense systems to respond more quickly to incoming threats.

In practical terms, the aircraft acts as an airborne command center, coordinating fighters, air defenses and surveillance assets across the theater.

Additional Support: AIM-120 Missiles

Alongside the Wedgetail deployment, Australia will also supply AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.

These missiles, manufactured by Raytheon, are widely used by Western fighter aircraft and represent one of the most important beyond-visual-range air combat weapons currently in service.

The AIM-120 is designed to intercept, hostile aircraft, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Providing these missiles effectively strengthens the defensive capabilities of allied air forces operating in the region.

Growing International Involvement

The Australian government has been careful to emphasize that it is not participating in offensive operations against Iran.

However, the deployment of a high-value asset such as the Wedgetail demonstrates how seriously Western partners view the evolving drone and missile threat across the Middle East.

The aircraft’s ability to integrate sensor data and coordinate intercepts makes it particularly valuable in a battlespace increasingly shaped by long-range missiles and low-cost unmanned systems.

Australia’s decision also reflects the broader internationalization of the crisis.

Several countries have increased military deployments to the region in recent weeks, contributing air defense systems, surveillance platforms and naval forces aimed at protecting regional stability and key energy routes.

Within this framework, the Wedgetail’s mission is clear: detect threats early, coordinate defensive responses, and prevent escalation caused by surprise attacks.

In a conflict where drones and missiles can travel hundreds of kilometers in minutes, the ability to see the threat first may prove decisive.

Australia to obtain four G550s equipped for EW mission

Canberra will obtain four modified Gulfstream G550 business jets that will be modified for the electronic warfare (EW) mission in the USA.
The aircraft will be designated the MC-55A Peregrine.
"The Peregrine is a new airborne electronic warfare capability that will be integrated into Defence's joint warfighting networks, providing a critical link between platforms, including the [Lockheed Martin] F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, [Boeing] E-7A Wedgetail, EA-18G Growler, Navy’s surface combatants and amphibious assault ships and ground assets to support the warfighter,” says defence minister.
flightglobal

Australia's First F-35A JSF Heads for RAAF Amberley

The F35s have been a while coming and not without plenty of controversy. Now this week the first two RAAF F35s are headed for their new home in Australia.
Australia is eventually getting 72 F35s over the next five years and at $125 million each, Australia gets what is considered the most lethal warplane ever built.
www.9news.com.au

U.S. Military, And Operators Worlwide Ground Their F-35s To Look For Faulty Fuel Tubes

The U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy have all stopped flying their F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, as have international operators, in order to inspect and potentially replace faulty fuel tubes common to all three variants of the aircraft, a process that should thankfully only last one or two days. Investigators looking into the cause or causes of a Marine F-35B crash in September 2018 uncovered the issue, which comes amid a Pentagon-mandated effort to boost the Joint Strike Fighter's availability rates and raises serious questions about increased reliance on a single family of combat jets.
The Pentagon's central F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) announced the grounding on Oct. 11, 2018. The inciting incident occurred on Sept. 28, 2018, when an F-35B from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron Five Zero One (VMFAT-501) crashed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina. The pilot of that aircraft was able to safely eject, but the stealth fighter was a total loss.
thedrive

Australia grounds Joint Strike Fighter fleet after US Marine Corps F-35 in catastrophic engine failure and crash

The crash and destruction of one of America's most sophisticated and expensive combat warplanes — an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter — has led to the immediate grounding of Australia's entire fleet of the aircraft.
The Royal Australian Airforce has taken delivery of nine F-35s from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin, and all are now sitting idle at their American training base in Arizona.
Australia is the latest among global partners in the Joint Strike Fighter program to order groundings of their planes as a precaution.
n a statement, the Australian Defence Force confirmed that "the F-35 fleet has been instructed to conduct safety inspections across all delivered engines".
abc.net

Canada requests seven additional Australian Hornets

Canada has requested an additional seven surplus F/A-18 A/B Hornets from Australia.
In February, Ottawa requested seven examples for use in non-flying activities such as software testing, static training, and spares, says Australia’s Department of Defence.
The deal is subject to US export controls. If approved, it will bring to 25 the number of former RAAF Hornets sold to Ottawa. Should export approvals be received, negotiations would determine delivery timings.
In December 2017, Canberra confirmed that it will sell Ottawa 18 F/A-18 A/B Hornets for an undisclosed sum.
The first two “classic” Hornets will be delivered to Canada in 2019, at which point the Royal Australian Air Force’s transition to the Lockheed Martin F-35 will be well underway.
The Royal Canadian Air Force requires airframes to fill a capability gap during a pending process to obtain 88 new combat aircraft to replace its 85 Boeing CF-18 A/B fighters.
In February 2018, Ottawa announced that five bidders – Boeing, Dassault, Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin, and Saab – are eligible to replace the CF-18s.
Canada’s previous Harper government had selected the F-35 to replace the CF-18 fleet in 2009, but in 2015 the incoming Trudeau government cancelled this. Initially, the RCAF announced plans to buy 24 F/A-18E/Fs as an interim solution, then select a permanent CF-18 replacement in the early 2020s.
The Boeing deal fell through, however, amid Boeing’s (ultimately unsuccessful) trade complaint with the US Commerce Department against Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier over allegedly unfair pricing on a sale of CSeries aircraft to Delta Air Lines. The Canadian government reacted strongly against Boeing, cancelling the interim fighter deal.
The RAAF operates 55 single seat F/A-18As and 16 two-seat F/A-18Bs that were acquired in the 1980s. This fleet will be retired by 2022 in favour of the F-35A, of which Canberra has committed to 72 examples.
flightglobal

Australia declares IOC for P-8A ahead of schedule

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has declared initial operating capability (IOC) for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime multimission aircraft (MMA), five months ahead of schedule.
The milestone, comes with six of the 12 aircraft currently under contract now at the type’s homebase of RAAF Edinburgh in South Australia. A further three aircraft are currently going through the approval process for a final fleet of 15.
Australia acquired the P-8A to replace the 19 Lockheed AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft that have been in service since the 1960s. The 15 P-8As will be operated in tandem with seven Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), which will be acquired once development has been completed by the manufacturer and the US Navy (USN).
Deliveries to the Australia began in November 2016, since which time 10 and 11 Squadron have been building up the P-8A’s capabilities. .
Australia's P-8A programme dates back to June 2007.
In February 2014 the Australian government announced its approval for the acquisition of eight P-8A, with a further four being announced in July 2016. The final three were committed to in the 2016 Defence White Paper but are yet to be contracted..
janes

Third RAAF F-35 makes first flight

The Royal Australian Air Force’s third F-35A Lightning II, A35-003, has completed its first flight.
Photographer Carl Richards captured these images of A35-003 taking off on its first flight, from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, on December 1.
The aircraft is due to be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in early 2018 to be used for pilot and maintainer training, before being permanently relocated to Australia in 2020.
A35-003, known to its manufacturer Lockheed Martin as AU-3, had its RAAF markings, including its 3 Squadron tail flashes, applied in early November, the final phase of the aircraft’s production process.
australianaviation

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Canada is scrapping a plan to buy 18 Boeing Co (BA.N) Super Hornet fighter jets amid a deepening dispute with the U.S. aerospace company, three sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Instead, the Liberal government will announce next week it intends to acquire a used fleet of older Australia F-18 jets, the same kind of plane Canada currently operates, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The move underlines Ottawa’s anger at a decision by Boeing to launch a trade challenge against Canadian planemaker Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO), which the U.S. giant accuses of dumping airliners on the American market.
It also casts into question the future of Boeing’s military sales in Canada. Boeing says its commercial and defense operations in Canada support more than 17,000 Canadian jobs.
Canada and Mexico are locked into increasingly acrimonious negotiations with the United States over the NAFTA trade pact, which President Donald Trump says has not done enough to protect U.S. jobs.
reuters

US approves sale of modified G550 wiit ISR Equipment for RAAF

The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia for Gulfstream G550 Aircraft with Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Electronic Warfare (AISREW) mission systems. The estimated cost is $1.3 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on June 23, 2017.
The Government of Australia requested the possible sale of up to five (5) Gulfstream G-550 aircraft modified to integrate Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Electronic Warfare (AISREW) mission systems, Global Positioning System (GPS) capability, secure communications, aircraft defensive systems; spares, including whole life costs of airborne and ground segments; aircraft modification and integration; ground systems for data processing and crew training; ground support equipment; publications and technical data; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; flight test and certification; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The total estimated program cost is $1.3 billion.
dsca

L-3 G550 contract suggests new Australian surveillance deal

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) could be due to receive a new electronic intelligence (ELINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft, following a recent US Air Force contract award to L-3 Communications.
In a deal announced on 28 December 2015, the USAF granted a $92.6 contract for an “undefinitized contract action task order for Australia government G550 aircraft procurement and maintenance”.
The work – which is understood to involve two aircraft – will be performed at L-3's Greenville site in Texas, and should be completed by 30 November 2017.
No details were given about the nature of the work, or about the number of aircraft involved. The RAAF also has yet to formally announce a requirement for such an intelligence-gathering aircraft.
flightglobal

Australia signs contract for PC-21 trainer

A consortium led by Lockheed Martin has been formally awarded a A$1.2 billion ($870 million) contract to train Australian Defence Force (ADF) pilots using Pilatus PC-21 aircraft.
The ‘Team 21’ consortium, which includes Pilatus Aircraft and local MRO provider Hawker Pacific, was announced as the preferred tenderer for the pilot training system requirement in September.
Included in the deal is the acquisition of 49 PC-21 trainer aircraft, seven flight simulators and updated courseware for an initial seven-year term from 2019.
flightglobal

RAAF KC-30A refuels F-35A for first time

In a first for the Royal Australian Air Force, an Airbus KC-30A MRTT aircraft has conducted refuelling contacts with a Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter.
The four hour sortie took place from Edwards AFB in California, and saw the KC-30A perform 59 boom contacts. Of these, five contacts were “wet” and included the transfer of 43,200lb of fuel to the USAF F-35A.
flightglobal

Australia completes first air strike against Islamic State in Syria

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has successfully conducted its first air strike against an Islamic State target over eastern Syria, Australian minister for defence told reporters on 16 September.
"Two days ago an Australian Hornet fighter aircraft destroyed a Daesh (Islamic State) armoured personnel carrier with a precision-guided missile".
The confirmation comes in the wake of a statement issued by the United States Central Command on 15 September listing Australia as one of the coalition partners that have conducted air strikes in Syria.
The RAAF began operations in support of the US-led coalition over Iraq and Syria in September 2014, flying from Al Minhad airbase in the UAE. In October 2014, the service's F/A-18Fs conducted its first air strikes on an Islamic State target in Iraq.
janes

First RAAF C-27J Touches Down in Australia

The first of 10 C-27J (A34-001) tactical airlifters for the RAAF has touched down at its new home of RAAF Base Richmond.
A second C-27J, A34-002, is expected to be delivered to Richmond in August.
A34-001 had entered Alenia Aermacchi’s Turin assembly line in December 2012 and first flew on December 18 2013. It was ferried to L-3 in Waco in March 2014 for fitment of its ballistic protection matting, EW/self-protection systems, and communications suite. The RAAF then accepted the first two C-27J Spartans onto the Commonwealth register, and commenced training on the aircraft at L-3’s facility at Waco, last December.
The C-27Js are being acquired as battlefield airlifters to replace the capability lost with the retirement of the DHC-4 Caribou in 2009. The C-27Js will be based at Amberley.
defense-studies

RAAF to get two more A330 MRTT KC-30

It appears likely that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is to acquire two more Airbus A330 MRTT to add to its current fleet of five, although no formal confirmation is yet available.
A brief comment to this effect - since removed - appeared on the website of the Spanish Embassy in Canberra on 25 June.
The acquisition of an additional two MRTTs (KC-30A in Australian service) was informally forecast by then defence minister David Johnston in August 2014.
janes

RAAF E-7A Wedgetail Achieves Final Operational Capability

The Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7A Wedgetail aircraft has achieved Final Operational Capability.
The RAAF fleet of six Wedgetail aircraft reached the milestone this month with the entire capability, from physical aircraft to logistics, management, sustainment, facilities and training, now fully operational and able to support ongoing operations.
The aircraft deployed on Operation Okra in the Middle East region, completing over 100 surveillance sorties with our coalition partners, flying more than 1,200 hours.
The home operating base for the Wedgetail aircraft is RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales.
defense-studies

US Near to Sell 40 Super Hornet to Kuwait

The US s nearing agreement to sell up to 40 F/A-18 E and F Super Hornet strike fighters to Kuwait.
The deal, has yet to be officially announced, but officials in Washington have confirmed an agreement is close.
Any deal will would require approval from the US Congress, but it's unlikely a proposed sale to Kuwait, a staunch US ally in the Persian Gulf, would meet serious opposition.
A major Super Hornet sale would breathe new life into the Boeing production line, which is working on new aircraft for the US Navy and Australia, but which will deliver the last of those aircraft by the end of 2017. Boeing officials have said production of two aircraft per month, or 24 per year, is necessary to keep the St. Louis, Missouri production line at the break-even point.
The Navy has not officially requested any Super Hornet variants since the 2014 budget. But Congress added fifteen EA-18G Growler electronic attack variants into the 2015 defense acts, and the service listed 12 Super Hornets in its 2016 unfunded requirements list.
In Kuwait, Boeing had been up against the Eurofighter Typhoon. Kuwait tentatively agreed in early 2014 to go with the Typhoon, but subsequently backed off.
It is not yet clear how many single-seat F/A-18Es and two-seat F/A-18Fs are involved in the Kuwait deal. Some media accounts reported a deal for 28 of the Boeing aircraft, while US sources indicate as many as 40 F/A-18s could be sold -- probably under an initial deal for 28 aircraft with an option for 12 more..
If confirmed, Kuwait would become the second international customer for the Super Hornet, after Australia, that operates 24 F/A-18Fs, and is set to take initial delivery this summer of the first of 12 EA-18G Growlers.
defensenews

Australia commissions first two CH-47Fs Chinook

The first two of seven CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters for the 5th Aviation Regiment of the Australian Army were commissioned in a ceremony at RAAF Townsville on 5 May.
The remaining Chinooks will be delivered by the end of July. Initial operating capability (IOC) would be achieved by December 2015 and full operating capability (FOC) by January 2017.Although the new aircraft are being received in a common configuration with the US Army's baseline CH-47Fs, they also incorporate optional Boeing-designed rotor brakes and ship tie-down adaptors to enhance operations from the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) two Canberra class landing helicopter docks (LHDs).
janes

First RAAF pilots qualifies on F-35

Australia's first fully qualified F-35 Lightning pilot admits this controversial new aircraft takes his breath away.
Australia plans to acquire up to 100 F-35 aircraft but so far there's just two, both still in the US in the training pool at Luke US Air Force base in Arizona.
9news

Five C-17As Still for Sale

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In addition to the Australia pair, Canada has purchased one aircraft and two have been sold to an undisclosed customer in the Middle East.
New Zealand is another country linked to a potential C-17 purchase, having recently launched its Future Air Mobility Capability program to replace its 50-year-old Lockheed Hercules fleet.
defensenews