No. 42 Wing is a

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF)

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 ...

responsible for supporting the service's Boeing E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. It was first formed in February 1943, and commanded RAAF radar stations in north Queensland and the south coast of Dutch New Guinea until being disbanded in October 1944. It was re-raised in its current role in 2006.

History

No. 42 Wing was established at

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

, Queensland, on 1 February 1943. It was one of three radar wings formed at around this time (along with No. 41 and No. 44 Wings) to improve the command and control arrangements for the RAAF's large network of radar stations.RAAF Historical Section (1996), p. 19 No. 42 Wing had responsibility for the radar stations located in northern Queensland and the south coast of Dutch New Guinea.Simmonds and Smith (2007), p. 24 As well as controlling their activities, the wing headquarters coordinated the movement of replacement personnel, medical services, mail and supplies to the stations. In addition, the wing established new stations and moved existing units in consultation with the local operational RAAF commands in the area. By mid-1944 it was judged that the radar wings were not suited to supporting the rapid Allied advance in the South West Pacific. As a result, it was decided to disband all three units and transfer the radar stations to mobile fighter control units.RAAF Historical Section (1996), p. 21Simmonds and Smith (2007), p. 25 No. 42 Wing was disbanded on 1 October 1944, and its subordinate radar stations were transferred to No. 113 Mobile Fighter Control Unit.Simmonds and Smith (2007), p. 119 During the mid-2000s it was decided to re-establish No. 42 Wing as part of the process of introducing the RAAF's six Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft into service. The unit was reformed at RAAF Base Williamtown on 1 January 2006. The intention of this structure was to allow No. 2 Squadron to focus on operating the Wedgetails.Moclair (2015), p. 53 As of 2015, No. 42 Wing's headquarters and No. 2 Squadron were based in a highly secure facility at RAAF Base Williamtown..Moclair (2015), p. 52 No. 10 Squadron was transferred to the control of No. 42 Wing on 2 May 2019. This unit is located at

RAAF Base Edinburgh RAAF Base Edinburgh is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located in Edinburgh approximately north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and forms part of the Edinburgh Defence Precinct. The base is primarily home to No 9 ...

and operates two

Lockheed AP-3C Orion The Lockheed AP-3C Orion is a variant of the P-3 Orion used by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for tasks such as naval fleet support, maritime surveillance, search and survivor supply and anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. The 18 AP ...

s that have been modified for an electronic warfare role.

References

;Citations ;Works consulted * * * {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 42 42 42 42