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It was the briefest of visits to Canberra from Australia’s latest defence weaponry, but loud and spectacular enough to draw a raft of gawping spectators parked along the entry road to Fairbairn. The two F-35A Lightning fighters didn’t even lower their undercarriages during their ACT visit on Wednesday as part of what the RAAF described as a “diversion training exercise”. After three wide loops beyond the territory’s eastern edge, together with cursory practice approaches, departures and bank angles away from Canberra Airport’s main runway 17/35, the world’s most-advanced fighter aircraft headed back to RAAF Williamtown, north of Newcastle. Despite Canberra being home to thousands of defence force personnel, the sight of the RAAF’s latest and most-expensive aerial combat assets is rare. So when the word spread that two of the Lockheed Martin-built $89.2 million joint strike fighters would be seen over ACT skies, the territory’s plane spotters turned out in droves to catch a glimpse. READ MORE: The visiting fighters are attached to 77 Squadron, which has been flying out of Williamtown air base for more than 60 years, most recently in F/A-18A Classic Hornets. As the Hornets are retired from service, they are being replaced by the new F-35As. The F-35 program is the largest air force acquisition project in Australia’s history, with 72 fighters ordered.
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It was the briefest of visits to Canberra from Australia’s latest defence weaponry, but loud and spectacular enough to draw a raft of gawping spectators parked along the entry road to Fairbairn.
The two F-35A Lightning fighters didn’t even lower their undercarriages during their ACT visit on Wednesday as part of what the RAAF described as a “diversion training exercise”.
After three wide loops beyond the territory’s eastern edge, together with cursory practice approaches, departures and bank angles away from Canberra Airport’s main runway 17/35, the world’s most-advanced fighter aircraft headed back to RAAF Williamtown, north of Newcastle.
Despite Canberra being home to thousands of defence force personnel, the sight of the RAAF’s latest and most-expensive aerial combat assets is rare.
So when the word spread that two of the Lockheed Martin-built $89.2 million joint strike fighters would be seen over ACT skies, the territory’s plane spotters turned out in droves to catch a glimpse.
The visiting fighters are attached to 77 Squadron, which has been flying out of Williamtown air base for more than 60 years, most recently in F/A-18A Classic Hornets. As the Hornets are retired from service, they are being replaced by the new F-35As.
The F-35 program is the largest air force acquisition project in Australia’s history, with 72 fighters ordered.
