No. 84 Wing is a
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF) transport
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...
. Coming under the control of
Air Mobility Group (AMG), it is headquartered at
RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located within the City of Hawkesbury, approximately North-West of the Sydney Central Business District in New South Wales, Australia. Situated between the towns of W ...
, New South Wales. The wing comprises No. 35 Squadron, operating Aliena C-27J Spartan transport Aircraft;
No. 37 Squadron, operating
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules
The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems.
The C-130J is the newest v ...
medium transports; and a technical training unit,
No. 285 Squadron.
Formed in 1944 for
army co-operation
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement ...
duties in the
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific theatre, during World War II, was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis. It included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies (except for Sumatra), Borneo, Australia and its mandate Territory of ...
, No. 84 Wing operated a mix of aircraft including
CAC Boomerang
The CAC Boomerang is a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1942 and 1945. Approved for production shortly following the Empire of Japan's entry into the Second World War, t ...
s,
CAC Wirraway
The CAC Wirraway (an Aboriginal word meaning "challenge") was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. It was an Australian development of ...
s,
Auster AOPs and
Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) is a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. At le ...
s, before disbanding in 1946. It was re-formed in 1991 as a tactical transport wing headquartered at
RAAF Base Townsville
RAAF Base Townsville (formerly RAAF Base Garbutt) is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) air base located in , west of Townsville in Queensland, Australia. It is the headquarters for No. 1 Wing Australian Air Force Cadets and, along with L ...
, Queensland, comprising
Nos. 35 and
38 Squadrons operating
de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribous. By 1996, it had been augmented by
No. 32 Squadron, operating
Hawker Siddeley HS 748 trainer-transports.
In 1998, No. 84 Wing was reorganised as a special transport wing, headquartered at Richmond. The Caribous were transferred to
No. 86 Wing and No. 84 Wing took over responsibility for
No. 33 Squadron, operating
Boeing 707 tanker-transports, and No. 34 Squadron, operating VIP transports, in addition to controlling No. 32 Squadron. By mid-2006, No. 32 Squadron had converted to
Beech King Air 350s and transferred to
Air Force Training Group, while No. 84 Wing had assumed control of No. 285 Squadron and
Air Movements Training and Development Unit (AMTDU). AMTDU was subsequently moved under the direct aegis of ALG, and No. 33 Squadron under No. 86 Wing, following the retirement of the 707s. No. 37 Squadron, by then the RAAF's sole Hercules unit, was transferred from No. 86 Wing to No. 84 Wing in 2010. No. 35 Squadron, which had been merged with No. 38 Squadron in 2000, was re-formed under No. 84 Wing in 2013 to operate
Alenia C-27J Spartan tactical transport commencing in 2015; the squadron was detached from the wing in January 2014 but is scheduled to return as the Spartan becomes operational.
History
Army cooperation formation
The
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF) established two
army cooperation wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
in the
South West Pacific Theatre
The South West Pacific theatre, during World War II, was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis. It included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies (except for Sumatra), Borneo, Australia and its mandate Territory of ...
late in World War II.
[Odgers]
''Air War Against Japan'', pp. 318–327
/ref> They were, as described by the official history of the RAAF in the Pacific, "essentially non-offensive in character", responsible for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, supply drops to ground forces, spraying DDT
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...
to combat malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
, and guiding close support aircraft to their objectives. The wing's aircraft could also carry out their own strikes on "targets of opportunity".
No. 84 (Army Cooperation) Wing was formed on 11 September 1944 in Cairns, Queensland. Commanded by Group Captain Bill Hely, it comprised No. 5 (Tactical Reconnaissance) Squadron, No. 17 Air Observation Post (AOP) Flight, No. 10 Communication Unit, and No. 39 Operational Base Unit.[ The wing arrived at Torokina in October to begin supporting Australian troops during the ]Bougainville Campaign
The Bougainville campaign was a series of land and naval battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan, named after the island of Bougainville. It was part of Operation Cartwheel, the Allie ...
.[Parnell; Lynch, ''Australian Air Force Since 1911'', p. 97] No. 5 Squadron, equipped with eighteen CAC Boomerang
The CAC Boomerang is a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1942 and 1945. Approved for production shortly following the Empire of Japan's entry into the Second World War, t ...
s and four CAC Wirraway
The CAC Wirraway (an Aboriginal word meaning "challenge") was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. It was an Australian development of ...
s, was assigned to mark targets for F4U Corsairs
The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contract ...
of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Austers of No. 17 AOP Flight were used for reconnaissance and courier work, becoming, in the words of the official history, "the eyes of the battalion commanders".[ No. 10 Communications Unit flew ]Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCA ...
s and Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) is a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. At le ...
s on courier, reconnaissance, supply, and anti-malarial spraying missions; it was renamed No. 10 Local Air Supply Unit in March 1945.[RAAF Historical Section, ''Maritime and Transport Units'', pp. 145–147] Between December 1944 and January 1945, the wing lost one Auster, one Wirraway, and one Boomerang on operations.[
Despite suffering shortages of pilots and equipment, No. 84 Wing was generally able to keep pace with the army's requirements.][ A detachment of No. 36 Squadron, flying C-47 Dakotas, was employed to augment the wing's supply capabilities. Up until the end of June 1945, No. 5 Squadron had flown almost 2,000 sorties and No. 17 AOP Flight over 1,300, while No. 10 Local Air Supply Unit and the No. 36 Squadron detachment had accounted for almost 1,000 between them. As the navigational efficiency of the New Zealander pilots increased, demands on the Boomerangs and Wirraways lessened, and the bulk of the reconnaissance duties fell to the Austers of No. 17 AOP Flight.][
When the Pacific War ended in August 1945, No. 10 Local Air Supply Unit was tasked with dropping leaflets announcing the news over Japanese positions.][ That month, Group Captain D.R. Chapman succeeded Hely as No. 84 Wing's commander. The end of hostilities led to morale problems owing to inactivity and the uncertainties of demobilisation; Chapman sent Northern Command headquarters a frank report to this effect, its tone earning him a rebuke from the Air Officer Commanding, Air Commodore ]Allan Walters
Air Vice Marshal Allan Leslie Walters, CB, CBE, AFC (2 November 1905 – 19 October 1968) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Born in Victoria and raised in Western Australia, he graduated from th ...
. No. 17 AOP Flight was disbanded on Bougainville in December, followed a month later by No. 10 Local Air Supply Unit.[ No. 5 Squadron transferred to RAAF Station Pearce, Western Australia, in January 1946, and disbanded in October that year. No. 84 Wing headquarters completed "reduction to nucleus" at Bougainville on 29 January 1946. It departed Torakina and arrived in ]Essendon Essendon may refer to:
Australia
*Electoral district of Essendon
*Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington
* Essendon, Victoria
**Essendon railway station
**Essendon Airport
* Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League
United Ki ...
, Victoria, on 28 February, disbanding there on 6 March.
Transport formation
No. 84 Wing was re-established as a tactical transport wing under the newly formed Operational Support Group (OSG) at RAAF Base Townsville
RAAF Base Townsville (formerly RAAF Base Garbutt) is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) air base located in , west of Townsville in Queensland, Australia. It is the headquarters for No. 1 Wing Australian Air Force Cadets and, along with L ...
, Queensland, in February 1991.[RAAF Historical section, ''Introduction, Bases, Supporting Organisations'', p. 162] It comprised two squadrons of de Havilland DHC-4 Caribous: No. 35 Squadron, located at Townsville, and No. 38 Squadron, located at RAAF Base Richmond
RAAF Base Richmond is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located within the City of Hawkesbury, approximately North-West of the Sydney Central Business District in New South Wales, Australia. Situated between the towns of W ...
, New South Wales. Prior to this, the two squadrons had been under the control of Tactical Transport Group, OSG's predecessor at Townsville.[ No. 84 Wing's primary purpose was to support ]Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), wh ...
operations and exercises, as well as the Parachute Training School at HMAS Albatross in Nowra
Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in t ...
, New South Wales. It also maintained detachments for search-and-rescue and local transport duties at RAAF Base Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located in the city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory, Australia. The base shares its runway with Darwin International Airport, for civil aviation purposes. The herit ...
, Northern Territory, and RAAF Base Pearce, Western Australia.[ The Pearce detachment (No. 38 Squadron Detachment A) was formed from No. 2 Flying Training School's Caribou Flight on 1 March 1991. In addition to their military role, the Caribous provided assistance to the civil community in the form of disaster relief and medical evacuation.] The aircraft frequently operated in Papua New Guinea, for training and humanitarian missions. No. 38 Squadron, responsible for all Caribou aircrew conversion and operations training, transferred to RAAF Base Amberley
RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland in Australia and southwest of Brisbane CBD. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron (operating the F/A-18F Super Hornet), N ...
, Queensland, in October 1992. Beginning the following month, seven of the fleet's twenty-one Caribous were retired to storage at Amberley for use as spare parts. By mid-1996, No. 84 Wing was under the control of Air Lift Group (ALG), located at Richmond, and had been augmented by No. 32 Squadron, operating Hawker Siddeley HS 748s for navigational training, VIP
A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots.
Examples inc ...
transport, and fisheries surveillance out of RAAF Base East Sale
RAAF Base East Sale is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base and training school, located in , Victoria, Australia. The base is one of the main training establishments of the RAAF, including where Australian Air Force Cadets fr ...
in Victoria.
In January 1998, No. 84 Wing was reorganised as a special transport wing under ALG, "special transport" meaning activities not directly related to army support, such as carrying VIPs.[ Its headquarters was relocated to Richmond. In addition to No. 32 Squadron, its complement included No. 33 Squadron, operating Boeing 707s for air-to-air refuelling and VIP transport out of Richmond, and No. 34 Squadron, operating Falcon 900s for VIP transport out of RAAF Base Fairbairn in Canberra. Nos. 35 and 38 Squadrons meanwhile transferred to No. 86 Wing, also headquartered at Richmond.][ Two of No. 33 Squadron's five 707s were soon employed to form No. 84 Wing Detachment A in Kuwait, as part of ]Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003.
United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of mon ...
. On 5 March, one of the 707s undertook the first operational aerial tanker mission since the squadron's re-formation in 1983, when it refuelled six Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and West Germany. There are three primary Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS ( in ...
s of the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) over Saudi Arabia. The detachment subsequently refuelled US EA-6 Prowler
The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder airframe. The EA-6A was the initial electronic warfare version of the A-6 used by the United ...
s, F/A-18 Hornets, and AV-8 Harrier
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier family, capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL). The aircraft is primaril ...
s, as well as RAF Harriers, in addition to the Tornados. From March to September 2002, two 707s formed No. 84 Wing Detachment as part of Australia's contribution to the war in Afghanistan. Located at Manas Air Base
Transit Center at Manas (formerly Manas Air Base and unofficially Ganci Air Base) is a former U.S. military installation at Manas International Airport, near Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. It was primarily operated by the U.S. Air ...
in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...
, the 707s provided aerial refuelling to coalition aircraft operating in the theatre, their efforts earning No. 84 Wing a Meritorious Unit Citation
The Meritorious Unit Citation is a collective group decoration awarded to members of Australian military units. It recognises sustained outstanding service in warlike operations. The Meritorious Unit Citation was created in 1991, along with the ...
.
No. 34 Squadron's fleet of five Falcon 900s was replaced by two Boeing 737 Business Jets and three Bombardier Challenger 604
The Bombardier Challenger 600 series is a family of business jets developed by Canadair after a Bill Lear concept, and then produced from 1986 by its new owner, Bombardier Aerospace.
At the end of 1975, Canadair began funding the developmen ...
s in July 2002. The arrival of the new jets also permitted the Air Force to cease using No. 33 Squadron's 707s in the VIP transport role.[ In concert with the No. 84 Wing Navigation Training Aircraft Detachment, No. 32 Squadron completed its conversion from the HS 748 to the Beech King Air 350 in December 2004. By mid-2006, the squadron had been transferred to Air Force Training Group and No. 84 Wing had assumed control of two Richmond-based units from the defunct No. 85 Wing, No. 285 Squadron and the Air Movements Training and Development Unit (AMTDU). No. 285 Squadron undertook instruction of technical staff, and ground-based aircrew training using Hercules and Boeing 707 ]flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they rea ...
s. AMTDU was responsible for developing and disseminating new techniques in air transport operations. It was later moved under the direct control of Headquarters ALG. No. 33 Squadron retired its 707s in June 2008, and subsequently relocated to Amberley under the control of No. 86 Wing.
No. 37 Squadron transferred from No. 86 Wing to No. 84 Wing in October 2010. It operated a mix of Lockheed C-130H Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally design ...
and Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules
The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems.
The C-130J is the newest v ...
, No. 86 Wing having consolidated all its C-130 operations in the one squadron, prior to re-equipping No. 36 Squadron with the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. The Hercules, along with Globemasters and King Airs, were employed for flood relief in Queensland and Victoria early in 2011. In February, Hercules and Globemasters transported medical staff and equipment to aid victims of the Christchurch earthquake. The same year, No. 34 Squadron provided VIP transport during the visits to Australia by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
and US President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
. No. 37 Squadron's C-130H Hercules were retired in November 2012; the C-130Js are expected to remain in service until about 2030. In February 2013, the RAAF marked ten years rotating a detachment of three C-130s through the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) to support the Australian contribution to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, a rotation maintained by No. 37 Squadron under the auspices of No. 84 Wing. Its operations having been absorbed by No. 38 Squadron in 2000, No. 35 Squadron was re-established under No. 84 Wing on 14 January 2013, to operate ten Alenia C-27J Spartan tactical transports out of Richmond.[ The squadron was transferred to the C-27J Transition Team on 21 January 2014, and is expected to return to No. 84 Wing's control upon the Spartan reaching ]initial operating capability
Initial operating capability or initial operational capability (IOC) is the state achieved when a capability is available in its minimum usefully deployable form. The term is often used in government or military procurement.
The United States D ...
; the first of the new aircraft arrived in Australia on 25 June 2015. On 1 April 2014, ALG was renamed Air Mobility Group. On 13 October 2017, No. 34 Squadron was transferred from No. 84 Wing to No. 86 Wing. This change was made to place the unit under the same headquarters as No. 33 Squadron, whose Airbus KC-30A aircraft are gaining a VIP role.
Notes
References
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{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
84
Military units and formations established in 1944
Recipients of the Meritorious Unit Citation