RAAF Base Amberley are celebrating the legacy of the F/A-18F Super Hornet this week.
It’s been 15 years years since the Super Hornet – affectionately known as the Rhino – began operating out of the Ipswich base.
They replaced the F-1111s, which were decommissioned and later buried at Swanbank.
The Super Hornet was also a critical solution to bridging the gap between the retirement of the legendary F-111 and the arrival of the F-35A Lightning II.
The fighter jet, which was flown with a two-crew configuration, offered enhanced capabilities in both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
Video: Royal Australian Air Force/Defence Media. Supplied.
Wing Commander Trent Baldry, Commanding Officer No.1 Squadron, said No. 1 Squadron operationalised with the Super Hornet on 8 December 2010 after rigorous training in the United States.
“Flying the Super Hornet is an incredible privilege — the two crew model of the Rhino consisting of a pilot and a Weapon Systems Officer (or WSO) truly enables a simultaneous multi-role capability increasing its lethality and survivability in combat,” he said.
“The Rhino and its crews have proven this time and time again over the past 15 years both on exercise and on combat operations in the Middle East.
“It’s an absolute honour to fly the Super Hornet and to be part of the legacy of this remarkable aircraft.”
The Super Hornet’s combat credentials were cemented in October 2014, when it was deployed for strike missions supporting Australia’s coalition operations against the Islamic State in Iraq.
These missions marked the first Air Force combat deployments since Classic Hornet operations in Iraq in 2003.
The Air Force are also celebrating the Super Hornet in service by acknowledging the dedication of the personnel who have flown, maintained, and supported this remarkable aircraft over the past 15 years.
