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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

RAAF Base Williamtown
RAAF Base Williamtown (IATA: NTL, ICAO: YWLM) is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) north of Newcastle (27 km (17 mi) by road) in the local government area of Port Stephens, in New South Wales, Australia. The base serves as the headquarters to both the Air Combat Group and the Surveillance and Response Group of the RAAF. The military base shares its runway facilities with Newcastle Airport. The nearest towns are Raymond Terrace, located 8 km (5 mi) west of the base and Medowie, 6.8 km (4.2 mi), north of the base, which is home to many of the base's staff.

A number of the buildings and other facilities on the base are listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List.

History

RAAF Station Williamtown was established on 15 February 1941 to provide protection for the strategic port and steel manufacturing facilities in Newcastle. The base originally had four runways, each 1,100 m (3,600 ft) in length to meet the needs of the Williamtown Flying School. The school consisted of 62 buildings which accommodated 366 officers and men.

A number of Australian Empire Air Training Scheme squadrons were formed at Williamtown before proceeding overseas and No. 4 Operational Training Unit was located at Williamtown from October 1942 until the unit was disbanded in April 1944. Following World War II, Williamtown was retained as the RAAF's main fighter base and was equipped with squadrons of Gloster Meteor and CAC Sabre fighters.

In 1961, the squadron of Meteors were replaced with the Dassault Mirage aircraft. On-base facilities were gradually expanded post war and through until the late 1960s.

In 1983, the role of Williamtown was upgraded to a tactical fighter base in preparation of the replacement of the Mirages with 75 F/A-18 Hornets in 1989. The following year, Williamtown became headquarters for the Tactical Fighter group and acquired new headquarter buildings, hangars, workshops, stores, medical facilities and a base chapel.

Current base activity

As of August 2017 RAAF Williamtown employed approximately 3,500 personnel, including military, civilians and contractors, and generated $150 million per annum by way of salaries in the Hunter Region economy.

Williamtown was home to F/A-18 Hornet fighters (operated by No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, No. 3 Squadron and No. 77 Squadron), BAE Hawk 127 Lead-In Fighters (operated by No. 76 Squadron), E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft (operated by No. 2 Squadron) and Pilatus PC-9 forward air control aircraft (operated by No. 4 Squadron). It is also home to the Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre and Surveillance and Response Group RAAF.

RAAF Base Williamtown has sporting fields, recreation facilities, cinema and a fortnightly newspaper highlighting activities around the Base and outside community. RAAF Williamtown is the home to Fighter World, a museum dedicated to Australian fighter aircraft.

In 2014, the Australian Government announced that Williamtown would be the home base for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters; the first of which arrived in December 2018, and enter service with the RAAF in 2020. Redevelopment works to prepare the base for the F-35, including a 2000 ft runway extension, began in January 2015. This runway extension allows fighters to take off without the use of their noisy afterburners, minimising noise for local communities. Fifty-six of the seventy-two F35s will be based at Williamtown.

The use of firefighting chemicals over a sustained period has resulted in contamination of the groundwater in the area surrounding the base, with residents initiating a class action lawsuit and expressing ongoing concern in national media over the impact on their properties. Nationally, there are 90 sites impacted by PFAS contamination, with more internationally.

Units

The following units are located at RAAF Base Williamtown:

Unit Full name Force Element Group Wing Aircraft Notes
1ATS DET WLM No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Detachment Williamtown Combat Support Group N/A
1CCS DET WLM No. 1 Combat Communications Squadron Detachment Williamtown Combat Support Group N/A
1RSU No. 1 Radar Surveillance Unit Surveillance and Response Group N/A
1SECFOR No. 1 Security Forces Squadron Combat Support Group N/A
2SQN No. 2 Squadron Surveillance and Response Group 42 E-7A
2EHS No. 2 Expeditionary Health Squadron Combat Support Group N/A
2OCU No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit Air Combat Group 81 F-35A
3SQN No. 3 Squadron Air Combat Group 81 F-35A
4SQN No. 4 Squadron Air Combat Group 78 PC-9
3CRU No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit Surveillance and Response Group N/A
26SQN No. 26 (City of Newcastle) Squadron Combat Support Group N/A Airbase operations
HQ453SQN Headquarters No. 453 Squadron Surveillance and Response Group N/A
453SQN WLM FLT No. 453 Squadron Williamtown Flight Surveillance and Response Group N/A
76SQN No. 76 Squadron Air Combat Group 78 BAE-Hawk 127
77SQN No. 77 Squadron Air Combat Group 81 F-35A
278SQN No. 278 Squadron Air Combat Group N/A
381ECSS No. 381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron Combat Support Group N/A Contingency operations
CSU-WLM Combat Support Unit – Williamtown Combat Support Group N/A
HQ41WG Headquarters No. 41 Wing Surveillance and Response Group N/A
HQ42WG Headquarters No. 42 Wing Surveillance and Response Group N/A
HQ44WG Headquarters No. 44 Wing Surveillance and Response Group N/A
HQ78WG Headquarters No. 78 Wing Air Combat Group N/A
HQ81WG Headquarters No. 81 Wing Air Combat Group N/A
HQACG Headquarters Air Combat Group Air Combat Group N/A
HQSRG Surveillance and Response Group Surveillance and Response Group N/A
SACTU Surveillance and Control Training Unit Surveillance and Response Group N/A
335SQN AAFC No. 335 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets Australian Air Force Cadets N/A
AEWCSPO Airborne Early Warning Control System Program Office Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group N/A
GTESPO Ground Telecommunications Equipment Systems Program Office Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group N/A
TFSPO Tactical Fighter System Program Office Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group N/A

See also