Australian Defence Invests in Super Hornet and Growler Training

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is upgrading and extending its air combat training support to bolster the RAAF’s aviation capability into the future.

Director General Aerospace Combat Systems, Air Commodore Leanne Lee, said Defence has signed a new $109.7 million training services contract for the F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland with Raytheon Australia.

“This initial five-year $109.7 million contract will deliver ground-based simulator training support including maintenance and engineering as well as aircrew training services such as instruction, courseware development and force generation tasks,” Air Commodore Lee said.

“This new Electronic Attack Air Combat Training Support contract will ensure our RAAF personnel retain their edge through high-quality F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler training.”

The new contract will employ up to 49 personnel from Raytheon Australia and an Australian subcontractor, Milskil. The majority of the training services will be delivered from RAAF Base Amberley.

“The Electronic Attack Air Combat Training Support contract contains more than 95 percent Australian industry content with direct economic benefit of more than $104 million to the Australian economy,” Air Commodore Lee said.

The EA-18G Growler and F/A-18F Super Hornet are critical to RAAF’s air combat fleet.

The EA-18G Growler is an electronic attack aircraft capable of disrupting, deceiving and denying a broad range of military electronic systems, including radars and communications.

The F/A-18F Super Hornet has been in service for more than a decade and is a key air combat capability.