Air Combat Group RAAF

Force element group of the Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force's Air Combat Group (ACG) is the group which administers the RAAF's fighter and bomber aircraft. ACG was formed on 7 February 2002 by merging the RAAF's Tactical Fighter Group and Strike Reconnaissance Group in an attempt to improve the speed with which the RAAF can deploy its combat aircraft. the commander of ACG is Air Commodore Tim Alsop. Since the Group's formation, ACG aircraft have deployed to Diego Garcia during Operation Slipper and formed part of the Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ACG also worked on Operation Guardian II, which was the protection of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2002, and on Operation Falconer, which was providing a larger ground crew and strike force in Iraq. Other tasks have included support for Operation Acolyte (Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006) and participation in exercises such as Exercise Pitch Black in Australia and Exercise Red Flag in the United States. Aircraft from the Group have also performed domestic security tasks and participated in overseas exercises. It comprises No. 78, No. 81 and No. 82 Wings. No. 78 Wing RAAF is headquartered at RAAF Williamtown. It commands No. 76 Squadron, based at RAAF Williamtown, No. 79 Squadron, based at RAAF Pearce, No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, based at RAAF Williamtown, and No. 278 Squadron, which provides technical training specific to flight training. No. 81 Wing RAAF is headquartered at RAAF Williamtown. It commands No. 3 Squadron, based at RAAF Williamtown, No. 75 Squadron, based at RAAF Tindal, and No. 77 Squadron, based at RAAF Williamtown. No. 82 Wing RAAF is headquartered at RAAF Amberley. It commands No. 1 Squadron, based at RAAF Amberley, No. 6 Squadron, based at RAAF Amberley, and the Forward Air Control Development Unit (FACDU), based at RAAF Williamtown. It is accountable for all of the Air Force's F/A 18 Hornet, Super Hornet and Hawk squadrons, as well as the PC 9A Forward Air Control aircraft. The ACG is equipped with McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F/A 18 Hornet/Super Hornet fighter and attack aircraft, BAE Hawk trainers and Pilatus P/C 9(A) forward air control training aircraft.

The Air Combat Group (ACG) was created on 1 January 2002 with the merging of two Force Element Groups (FEGs), Strike Reconnaissance Group (F 111) and Tactical Fighter Group (F/A 18 Hornet, Hawk and PC 9A). The Wings under the Air Combat Group are located at RAAF Base Amberley, near Brisbane, Queensland, RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales, RAAF Base Pearce, near Perth, Western Australia, and RAAF Base Tindal, near Katherine, Northern Territory.

Air Combat Group maintains a busy training schedule for the air and ground crew on the F/A 18 Hornet, Super Hornet and Hawk. The Group's tasks have included support for Operation Acolyte (Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006) and participation in exercises such as Exercise Pitch Black in Australia and Exercise Red Flag in the United States. The United States Air Force commented favourably on the RAAF contingent's professionalism during this deployment.

During Operation Guardian II a squadron was deployed to protect the March 2002 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in south east Queensland.

No. 75 Squadron deployed to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in February 2003 as part of the Australian contribution to the invasion of Iraq (Operation Falconer). The squadron saw action during the Iraq War and provided air defence for high value assets such as Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, close air support for ground troops and attacked other Iraqi targets. The squadron was prohibited from operating near Baghdad as the Hornets' electronic warfare suite was judged to not be sufficient for such heavily defended air space. The squadron's rules of engagement also banned it from conducting close air support in urban areas. No. 75 Squadron conducted its final combat mission on 27 April and all 14 aircraft returned to RAAF Base Tindal on 14 May 2003.

No. 78 Wing RAAF is headquartered at RAAF Williamtown. It commands No. 76 Squadron, based at RAAF Williamtown, flying Hawk Mk127 aircraft, No. 79 Squadron, based at RAAF Pearce, flying Hawk Mk127 aircraft, and No. 278 Squadron, which provides technical training specific to flight training. 78 Wing conducts operational training, both ground and air, on the Hawk Mk 127 at Nos. 76 and 79 Squadrons.

No. 81 Wing RAAF is headquartered at RAAF Williamtown. It commands No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, based at RAAF Williamtown, No. 3 Squadron, based at RAAF Williamtown, No. 75 Squadron, based at RAAF Base Tindal, and No. 77 Squadron, based at RAAF Williamtown, flying F 35A aircraft.

No. 82 Wing RAAF is headquartered at RAAF Amberley. It commands No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron, based at RAAF Base Amberley, flying F/A 18F Super Hornet aircraft and the Boeing EA 18G Growler. It also commands No. 4 Squadron composed of the air force special forces Combat Controllers, aircrew who operate the Pilatus PC 21 aircraft and instructors for the Australian Defence Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) course.

The ACG is equipped with Lockheed Martin F 35 Lightning II, and F/A 18F Super Hornet fighter and attack aircraft, Boeing EA 18G Growler Electronic Warfare aircraft, PC 21 (Forward Air Control) and BAE Hawk trainers. Each of these aircraft has a different role. The F 35 replaced the McDonnell Douglas F/A 18 Hornet in Australian service. The F/A 18 was retired from RAAF service in late 2021.

The Australian Government replaced the F/A 18A and B with the F 35A Lightning II, starting in 2017 and with the expected final aircraft of the 72 ordered arriving in 2023. The RAAF's No. 6 squadron based at RAAF Amberley operates Boeing EA 18G Growler Electronic warfare aircraft.

The BAE Systems Hawk Mk127, is a British advanced jet trainer which first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. ACG operations 33 Hawks as trainers, and these aircraft have a limited air to air and land strike capability. The Pilatus PC 21 Forward Air Control (FAC) is a variant of the Pilatus PC 21 used by the RAAF as advanced pilot training aircraft.