Australia's Super Hornets mission ready

Defence has declared the RAAF's new Boeing Super Hornet jets ready for action.
This follows the arrival of four more aircraft at RAAF base Amberley, in Queensland,
giving the RAAF a full squadron of 12 aircraft.
Another 12 aircraft are set to be delivered progressively over the next year.
The declaration of initial operational capability follows the final flight and
official retirement of the RAAF's elderly F-111 strike bombers.
The F-111 made its final flight on Friday, ending more than three decades of service.
Defence said the fleet of Super Hornets had reached initial operational capability
(IOC) on time and on budget.
IOC is declared when there are sufficient aircraft, trained aircrew and maintainers
plus weapons and spare parts to conduct a specified level of operations.
Australia is buying 24 multi-role Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft - nicknamed
Rhinos to differentiate them from older F/A-18 Hornet aircraft - under a $6 billion
deal.
Super Hornets will perform the strike role of the now departed F-111s until the new
Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter enters service in 2018.
The Super Hornet fleet now includes the first three of 12 aircraft to be configured
to accommodate the Growler electronic attack system.
Defence said the four new arrivals left the Boeing facility in St Louis, USA, and
transited over a number of days via US bases in California, Hawaii and Guam.



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