Royal Australian Air Force

The RAAF has joined with the RAAF Association - Tasmania Division, distinguished guests and the Hobart community, to commemorate the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and remember the men Prime Minister Winston Churchill called “the few”. Considered the first military campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, the battle saw more than 30 Australians fight alongside the Royal Air Force (RAF) to counter relentless air attacks by the German Luftwaffe.   Commemorations in Hobart paid tribute to their service and sacrifice, with a remembrance service at St David’s Cathedral, and a service and wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph.   Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, paid tribute to the brave men and women involved, and reflected on the legacy our modern-day aviators carry forward.   Air Force personnel from No. 29 (City of Hobart) Squadron provided ceremonial support, alongside the Air Force Band and Air Force Cadets. 📸 | CPL Brett Sherriff and FLTLT Robert Hodgson   #AusAirForce #BattleOfBritain #LestWeForget

#ICYMI Four F-16 aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force touched down on 10 September 2024 beginning the third rotation of the Extended Fighter Detachment at RAAF Base Pearce. ✈ This rotation will run through September and October and include night flying from 30 September to 02 October. 📸 | FLGOFF Michael Thomas #AusAirForce #YourADF

The RSL Australia, #AusAirForce and United States Air Force have combined to commemorate a legendary aviator for his family. ❤ Flight Lieutenant Frank Russell might not be a household name, but his service record speaks of a significant aviator with a long and steeped career. Enlisting in 1941, FLTLT Russell served until 1976 – a career that took him through World War II, the Korean war, the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War. A request from his family in the US led to the RSL facilitating a presentation box of his replica medals to be delivered to the US, through his family back home, by the 509th Bomber Wing – who currently have B-2 Spirit Bombers deployed to RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland. Read here ➡ https://lnkd.in/gj3jcJjf 📸 | CPL Brett Sherriff #AusAirForce #YourADF

Safeguarding Air Force Communications at Red Flag Alaska 🙌 Corporal Jess Aitken, a dedicated member of No. 1 Combat Communications Squadron (1CCS), has travelled far from her small hometown of Boonah, Queensland, to the icy expanse of Alaska. Growing up in a rural setting with her father and grandparents, Jess was inspired by her grandfather, a former Air Force member who built and flew his own aircraft. This connection to aviation, combined with a chance encounter with a Defence Force Recruiting online pop-up advertisement, sparked her interest in the RAAF. “I started working at 13 in a local shop and always knew I wanted to jump into a career right after school,” CPL Aitken said. “After seeing that pop-up ad and talking with my grandfather, who had served in the Air Force, I decided to apply. I was accepted into the RAAF at 17, and it’s been a great fit for me ever since.” Read more of Jess' story here ➡ https://lnkd.in/g_RbgVVN #AusAirForce #YourADF

Flying Officer Kim Sim Lee hasn’t looked back since he swapped his international tech career in Malaysia for a life in Australia. ❤ Migrating with his family to Australia in 2015, FLGOFF Lee jumped at the opportunity to embark on a new career in the military and be part of a ‘wonderful country’. “Australia is a beautiful country made up of hundreds of cultural backgrounds, all coming together to share common interests.” As a Logistics Officer in Joint Logistics Command at RAAF Base Williams, Flying Officer Lee believes diverse thinking steers the course of many of the projects he works on. Read more ➡ https://lnkd.in/gssFs5R8 #AusAirForce #YourADF

In what is believed to be a first, an all-female security team has deployed internationally and provided airfield security for a VIP visit. 👊 Team Leader Leading Aircraftwoman May Bailey, of number 34 Squadron, said they provided a physical security presence to ensure the aircraft’s safety was maintained during the visit to Laos. “Going places with a RAAF aircraft brings attention, and people are always quite interested. It’s all about being security-minded and not giving away too much information,” said LACW Bailey. Arriving in Laos several days before the VIP, the team met airport staff and gathered information for an airfield survey. They secured the area and conducted a handover with the aircraft’s captain on arrival. The team comprised LACW Briana Stevenson, also of number 34 Squadron, and ACW Sarah Mullineux and ACW Saraiah Walker from number 1 Security Forces Squadron (1SECFOR). Read more ➡ https://lnkd.in/gweuK88W #AusAirForce #YourADF

Sunrise yoga with Indian Air Force ☀️🧘♂️ Amidst the aircraft and action, participants of Exercise Tarang Shakti 24 paused for a moment of calm and cultural exchange at sunrise, alongside our IAF friends at Air Force Station Jodhpur, India. 📸 | LAC Ryan Howell #AusAirForce #ExTarangShakti24

Making an AI breakthrough 📸🔍 Thanks to an image specialist’s out-of-the-box thinking, searching for pictures of aircraft could soon be a whole lot easier. Flight Sergeant Michael Bott has been instrumental in developing an artificial intelligence algorithm that can identify and tag images of specific aircraft types from within a library of millions of images. The idea came after an Edgy Air Force Tinker Thursday workshop, where aviators were asked to think about AI workplace applications. “That's when I had that lightbulb moment, how this would have made my life so much easier,” FSGT Bott said. If an image lacked a detailed description, the only way to identify a Hornet from a Hercules was to review the images one-by-one and update them. Through Edgy Air Force, a design and engineer program where aviators get hands-on with tech to realise workplace innovations, FSGT Bott secured funding and a contractor to develop his algorithm. He said algorithms already existed to identify aircraft in images, but it was a first for Air Force to recognise military aircraft types. Read more here ➡ https://lnkd.in/g7MUnN46 #AusAirForce #YourADF

35 Squadron's C-27J Spartan and crew successfully completed its support to Operation Island Chief, patrolling the oceans off Papua New Guinea, searching for illegal fishing boats and other suspicious maritime activity! 🎣 A big thank you to our sister squadron PNGDF Air Transport Wing! 🇵🇬 🇦🇺 #AusAirForce #YourADF

From GP to GPU's 😏🩺 With just 18 months in the Air Force, Flight Lieutenant Tamara Doughton has already embarked on a journey that brings together her passion for medicine and her desire for adventure. Based at 2 Expeditionary Health Squadron Detachment Darwin, FLTLT Doughton previously worked as a general practitioner in Gosford, NSW, where she enjoyed the close-knit community aspect of family medicine. "I reached a point where I wanted more out of my medical career. I was craving something beyond the routine of a family practice,” FLTLT Doughton said. Read Tamara's story here ➡ https://lnkd.in/gBNuY35K #AusAirForce #YourADF