ST. LOUIS, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Five new Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets have arrived at an Australian air force base from the United States.
The arrival expands the Australian air force's fleet of the advanced multirole fighters to 20. Three aircraft landed at the base July 14 and were joined Aug. 3 by two additional Super Hornets, Boeing said.
"As each new Super Hornet arrives at Amberley (air base), the overall capability of our air force continues to expand," said Australian air force Group Capt. Steve Roberton, officer commanding 82 Wing.
"The Super Hornet is going to be a true force multiplier for us, with its ability to seamlessly transmit data offboard from its advanced sensors to our classic Hornets."
The Australian air force is acquiring 24 Super Hornets under the current delivery contract. Twelve of the aircraft, including the five recently delivered, are prewired for the potential conversion to electronic attack capability.
"The Boeing Super Hornet team is working closely … to ensure that all the (Australian air force) Super Hornets arrive in Australia ahead of schedule and on budget," said Carolyn Nichols, Australian Super Hornet program manager for Boeing.
"Boeing understands that the men and women of the Australian air force rely on the advanced capability of the Super Hornet, and we are honored to deliver these aircraft, as promised."
Every Super Hornet produced for the U.S. Navy and the Australian air force has been delivered ahead of schedule and on budget.
The Australian government announced in March 2007 that it would acquire 24 of the advanced Block II versions of the Super Hornet, all of which are equipped with the Raytheon-built APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar.
