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The
Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Wedgetail Aircraft
will provide the ADF with a new capability in Australia’s
defence. Photo courtoesy of Boeing
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Photo
courtoesy of Boeing
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The
Navy is up in the air with the opening of the Air Force’s new
2 Squadron Headquarters at RAAF Williamtown.
The backbone of the $3.27 billion Project Wedgetail, 2 Squadron,
which was reformed in 2000, is the operational squadron for the
ADF joint manned Airborne Early Warning and Control fleet.
Master of Ceremonies for the recent opening formalities was LCDR
Angus Hawes, who has joined the squadron as resident Naval Liaison
Officer after a four-year operational tour with the United Kingdom
and NATO AEW&C program.
The event was attended by the Chief of Air Force AIRMSHL Angus
Houston and Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill.
According to CO Wing Commander Tracey Friend, LCDR Hawes’ posting
to 2 Squadron was further evidence of the Navy’s commitment to
the program, with several RAN billets activated within the squadron.
2SQN will consist of six aircraft, which will be manned by mission
crews and flight deck crews, each team with one dedicated RAN
position.
Funding for two extra aircraft was announced recently in the Budget.
LCDR Hawes said it was an exciting time for the ADF. “Every operation
I have been involved in with AEW&C, the Balkans, Afghanistan and
Iraq, indicates one thing; that as a platform the AWAC System
is an indispensable force multiplier,” he said.
“The RAN will work a lot with AEW&Cs in the years ahead and every
effort is in place during the formulative years to make them as
interoperable as possible with the Fleet.
“We will be looking at training up our best people for the first
courses in 2006.
“In the fullness of time, we will take the expertise of those
who tour with Wedgetail back to the operations room at sea.
“The end result will be officers and senior sailors with unparalleled
joint operations experience.” The opening marked the first visible
step in the advent of a project which will deliver an impressive
capability for the defence of Australia and her interests.
WGCDR Friend said that by virtue of an impressive sensor and communications
fit, the Wedgetail aircraft would be “amazingly capable and pivotal
in fulfilling roles of Air Defence, Surveillance, Maritime Support,
civil support and force coordination”.
Senator Hill said the Wedgetail, based on Boeing’s next-generation
737, was being modified to accommodate sophisticated mission systems
and radar.
The AEW&C Wedgetail is named after one of the largest eagles in
the world, Australia’s Wedgetail Eagle.
The bird has extremely acute vision, ranges widely in search of
prey, protects its territory without compromise and remains aloft
for long periods of time.
