Its that time of year again it seems...I just saw two F-15s fly low and slow over my work...got a little bit excited! This year plays host to approx. 2500 personnel and some 115 aircraft including F-15s, F-16s, F-18s and even some Su-35s! Aircraft and personnel from Australia - Canada - France - Germany - Indonesia - Netherlands - New Zealand - Singapore - Thailand - Turkey and of course the US are here to play! I reckon there are a couple of 35s here also, my Air force mate says they are not here yet, but ive heard jet noise like no other for the past three weeks...anyplace in Darwin and Palmerston can here them take off...miles away, yet still sounds like a freight train coming towards you...id say about 3x times louder than other jets...so im keeping my eyes peeled. Theres also talk of the US bringing over a couple of F117 Stealth fighters (bombers) to give us all "detection and interception" practice...maybe because China is building them themselves now...they don't sound too stealthy these days...? Hope we see some 22s... Anyways, they always have an open day after the operation is over so we can see the jets (and sit in them) that have been buzzing us for three weeks...you can buy hats and other paraphernalia straight from the pilots, who always make a little killing (money) every time they come here.
Maybe...I doubt it though...the Marines just unmothballed 30 fighters, maybe they are doing the same as an interim measure...maybe its all Hokum...a rumour at this point, but I can see the wisdom of it. Thanks Col...we'll see your mob too, looking forward to seeing the Luftwaffe in Darwin... : )
Just spoke to my Air Force mate... he says its on! I mentioned they were mothballed, he said yes but they've kept a number operational...fingers crossed. They've been here a number of times before, but they always come in at night, so no bugger sees them...we have "bomb pens" at RAAF base Darwin, so aircraft cant be straffed or bombed whilst on the ground, I suppose they hide them in there when they visit. I pass the base twice daily and always check to see whos in town...its often a whos who of world aircraft...
We do get a lot of down south and international 'plane spotters' come to Darwin just for this exercise...you can drive your car up to the end of the runway, sit on the bonnet and watch them take off and land...looks awesome.
The Marines didn't buy the F/A-18 Super Hornet because they were planning on replacing the AV-8 Harrier, EA-6 Prowler and F/A-18C Hornet with a single airframe, the F-35B VSTOL version of the F-35 Lightning II. They passed on the Super Hornet because they lacked funds to acquire both types. Unexpected program delays have forced them to retain their legacy aircraft longer than anticipated. Budget and Personnel cuts has meant that scheduled required maintenance in the F/A-18 fleet has needed to be postponed and led to a reduction in aircraft available for training and stateside operational missions. They have stripped stateside squadrons of aircraft to maintain deployed squadrons at full strength. They're pulling 23 Hornets out of "the boneyard" and having them reworked to C+ standard and the Navy is transferring seven F/A-18 C's with lower flight hours, that have been replaced by the Super Hornet to the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps has also agreed to purchase 80 F-35 C's for commonality with the Navy, in squadrons that are to be deployed on aircraft carriers as the Marine Corps portion of carrier air groups. The first Marine Corps F-35 B squadron became operational last July (2015) and will make it's first operational deployment in 2017. The Navy's first operational F-35 squadron is VFA-101, the "Grim Reapers" and they are currently working up and their first operational/sea deployment is scheduled for January 2017 and the next squadron to transition. VFA-97 "Warhawks" is scheduled for January 2018.
Good info mate...our top brass have had a taste of the 35...and are in no doubt that it will be genuinely superior to anything out there...I hope so.
The place is roaring this morning...16s and 18s coming into land low and slow...while pairs are taking off at high speed at the same time! Pretty constant...pretty cool.
Gulp! If I could post pictures there would be one almost every single post ive made! In this event the photo would be sky with dots in it (always looks further away than it is) - You can google NT News though...sorry GP, this would be a better post with pictures I agree... : ( Havent seen any SU-35s, not sure they got here...needless to say I haven't seen any F117s either...
Here's a little video of what's going on up in CAC's backyard: https://www.facebook.com/marines/videos/10153580608220194/
Just an update...US F-22s are in the Territory today, mixing with my favourite squadron 75 Squadron (defending northern aIr) F-18s...
