New fighter Jet for RAAF
01 August 2015 by News Desk
The Royal Australian Air Force has taken delivery of its first EA-18G Growler fighter jet, one of twelve it will acquire over coming years.
Australia is the first country outside the US to obtain the fighter jets, which are a derivative of the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Boeing, the maker of the EA-18Gs, says they’re the only aircraft in production which provide tactical jamming and electronic protection.
The first of the fleet was handed over at a ceremony in St. Louis, USA. Air Marshal Geoff Brown, former chief of the RAAF said: ‘The Growlers will complement our existing and future air combat capability. In many respects, it’s the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle for the RAAF.’
The Growler will now fly to a U.S. Naval station in California for more flight testing before moving to Washington where Australian pilots will train in flying the fighters. The new aircraft is expected to arrive in Australia in 2017.
