No. 81 Wing is responsible for operating the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II multi-role fighters of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales, the wing comprises three combat units, Nos. 3 and 77 Squadrons based at Williamtown and No. 75 Squadron at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory, as well as an operational conversion unit at Williamtown.No. 81 Wing at Royal Australian Air Force. Retrieved on 26 March 2013.RAAF Base Williamtown at Royal Australian Air Force. Retrieved on 26 March 2013.RAAF Base Tindal at Royal Australian Air Force. Retrieved on 26 March 2013. No. 81 Wing headquarters oversees squadron training in air-to-air and air-to-ground tactics, and support for the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy. Tasked with offensive and defensive counter-air operations, the Hornets have been deployed to Diego Garcia in 2001–02, when they provided local air defence, to Iraq in 2003, when they saw action flying fighter escort and close air support missions in concert with Coalition forces, and to the Middle East in 2015–16, when they undertook strike operations during the military intervention against ISIL. They have also been employed to patrol high-profile events in Australia, including the Commonwealth Games and visits by foreign dignitaries.
Formed in April 1944, No. 81 Wing comprised three flying units, Nos. 76, 77 and 82 Squadrons, operating P-40 Kittyhawk fighters in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. Following the end of hostilities, the wing converted to P-51 Mustangs and was based in Japan as part of the Allied occupational forces; it disbanded there in November 1948. Re-formed at Williamtown in January 1961, its complement included Nos. 75 and 76 Squadrons, and No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, operating CAC Sabre jets. The Sabres were deployed to RAAF Base Darwin, Northern Territory, in 1964 to guard against possible attack by Indonesian forces during the Konfrontasi with Malaysia. No. 81 Wing converted to Dassault Mirage III supersonic fighters before disbanding in December 1966. It was re-formed again at Williamtown in February 1987, to operate the Hornet. The wing also controlled Nos. 25 (later 79) and 76 Squadrons, flying Macchi lead-in fighters, until they were transferred to No. 78 Wing in 2000.
History World War II Established at Ballarat, Victoria, on 12 April 1944, No. 81 Wing operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighters in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. Group Captain Gordon Steege set up headquarters on Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands on 30 August. Comprising Nos. 76, 77 and 82 Squadrons, the formation joined Nos. 77 and 78 Wings on Noemfoor as part of No. 10 Operational Group in September 1944.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 249 No. 10 Group was renamed the First Tactical Air Force (No. 1 TAF) in October.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 298–299 The same month, No. 81 Wing undertook offensive sweeps and ground attacks against targets in West Papua.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 304, 307–308 In November, Nos. 77 and 82 Squadrons dive bombed Japanese airfields on Halmahera.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 312
The wing's aircraft flew 1,125 sorties in October and November, dropping over of bombs, for the loss of 15 Kittyhawks and 11 pilots. The relegation of No. 1 TAF to areas of operation bypassed by the main Allied thrust towards the Philippines and Japan led to poor morale. In December 1944, No. 81 Wing's new commander, Group Captain Wilfred Arthur, produced a "balance sheet" to demonstrate that the formation's combat results were not worth the cost in ordnance and casualties, setting in train events that would culminate in the so-called "Morotai Mutiny" the following year.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 386–390Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 443–450 By January 1945, the number of missions flown by No. 81 Wing had dropped to less than 400, from over 1,000 the previous month. In March, the Kittyhawks carried out some 80 patrols around Noemfoor but encountered enemy activity on less than half of these.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 398
No. 81 Wing was slated to take part in Operation Oboe One, the invasion of Tarakan, in May 1945 but was unable to move in time from Noemfoor to its new base on Morotai in the Dutch East Indies; only No. 76 Squadron played any part in the battle, undertaking patrols and convoy escort.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 453Waters, Oboe, p. 71 The following month, No. 81 Wing flew close support missions for the Australian 9th Division in Operation Oboe Six, the invasion of Labuan.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 466–473 Along with its three Kittyhawk squadrons, the wing's order of battle included No. 457 Squadron flying Spitfires, No. 25 Air Stores Park, No. 24 Medical Clearing Station, No. 22 Repair and Servicing Unit, No. 9 Repair and Servicing Unit Detachment, No. 111 Mobile Fighter Control Unit, and seven Radar Stations—a total of over 2,000 personnel.Waters, Oboe, pp. 76, 110 Its commander on Morotai and Labuan was Group Captain Ian McLachlan.Air Vice Marshal Ian Dougald McLachlan at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved on 26 March 2013. No. 81 Wing was to have provided two squadrons in support of Operation Oboe Two, the assault on Balikpapan, in June but Tarakan airfield, from which it was to operate, was not ready in time.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 482 The wing was still based on Labuan when the Pacific War ended in August 1945. Calls soon came to serve with the formation as part of the proposed Commonwealth occupation forces in Japan, and many personnel volunteered to do so.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 495–496
Allied occupation of Japan
The wing began re-equipping with P-51D Mustangs at Labuan in September 1945. No. 481 (Maintenance) Squadron was formed in December from elements of No. 22 Repair and Servicing Unit, No. 25 Air Stores Park, and other units based on Labuan.RAAF Historical Section, Units of the Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 63–65 No. 381 (Base) Squadron, established in January 1946, also utilised personnel and equipment from No. 81 Wing's specialist units at Labuan, including No. 47 Operational Base Unit, No. 24 Medical Clearing Station, No. 25 Air Stores Park and No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron. RAAF base squadrons were administrative and logistical units, intended to make their wings self-supporting and mobile for potential deployment.O'Brien, Always There, pp. 54–55Stephens, Going Solo, p. 71
Under the leadership of Wing Commander Glen Cooper, No. 81 Wing subsequently transferred to new headquarters at Bofu, a former kamikaze base, where it formed the Australian air contingent of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in Japan until 1948, when the RAAF presence was reduced. The first of its units to arrive in Japan had been No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron (No. 5 ACS) in December 1945, followed by the three flying squadrons in March 1946. No. 82 Squadron lost three Mustangs and an escorting de Havilland Mosquito in bad weather en route to Bofu, killing all crew members.Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 213–216 The wing's strength was augmented by Nos. 381 and 481 Squadrons, and later No. 111 Mobile Fighter Control Unit (No. 111 MFCU).Mordike, The Post-War Years, p. 58 Also making the journey to Japan was the wing's mascot, Flying Officer (later Flight Lieutenant) Raleigh, "a small yellow dog and combat-seasoned veteran with over 40 hours operational flying to his credit".Eather, Odd Jobs, pp. 4–5
As the Japanese offered no serious resistance to the Allied occupation, No. 81 Wing's prime operational duty was surveillance patrols. The RAAF personnel also helped maintain law and order, and supervised elections, while No. 5 ACS, as well as undertaking military construction, contributed to rebuilding local infrastructure. Otherwise they generally maintained a peacetime training regime.Mordike, The Post-War Years, p. 67 By late 1946, No. 381 Squadron was providing technical support to all BCOF squadrons, including five from Britain, New Zealand and India, as well as to the RAAF contingent.O'Brien, Always There, p. 56 Group Captain Brian Eaton took over command of No. 81 Wing from Cooper in September 1947.Stephens, Going Solo, p. 217 The wing transferred to Iwakuni in April 1948, the same month that the Federal government determined to reduce Australia's contribution to BCOF and disband the formation, retaining only No. 77 Squadron in Japan.Occupation air group arrived in Japan at Air Power Development Centre. Retrieved on 29 March 2013. Nos. 76 and 82 Squadrons disbanded in October, the former subsequently re-emerging and joining No. 78 Wing when it deployed to Malta in 1952.Eather, Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force, pp. 86–88,94–95Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 221–223 No. 81 Wing headquarters and No. 481 Squadron were disbanded in November 1948, followed by No. 111 MFCU in January 1949. Detachments of No. 381 Squadron and No. 5 ACS remained with No. 77 Squadron under the aegis of a new organisation called RAAF Component, eventually disbanding in February and April 1950, respectively.RAAF garrison in Japan downgraded at Air Power Development Centre. Retrieved on 6 April 2013. No. 77 Squadron personnel were preparing to return to Australia when, on 25 June 1950, they were placed on standby for action in the Korean War, which had just broken out; the unit began flying missions over Korea a week later.Stephens, Going Solo, pp. 222–225
Re-establishment and Konfrontasi
In January 1961, No. 81 Wing was re-established at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales. Flying CAC Sabres, its complement included Nos. 75 and 76 Squadrons, as well as No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit (No. 2 OCU) and a re-formed No. 481 Squadron.CAC Sabre at RAAF Museum. Retrieved on 30 November 2010. In September 1964, Nos. 76 and 481 Squadrons deployed to RAAF Base Darwin, Northern Territory, as part of Operation Handover, a little-publicised contingency plan put into effect during the Konfrontasi between Indonesia and Malaysia. No. 76 Squadron's Sabres, armed with Sidewinder missiles, were to defend against possible attack by Indonesian forces following the recent establishment of the Federation of Malaysia. This was the first time since World War II that an RAAF flying squadron was positioned "in harm's way" on Australian soil. As No. 75 Squadron was effectively out of action pending conversion to the Dassault Mirage III, the deployment meant that practically the entire mainland fighter force had been committed to the north. The Officer Commanding No. 81 Wing, Group Captain A.F. Mather, took on the role of Area Air Defence Commander. No combat ensued, the Sabres' only interception being a Canberra bomber of No. 1 Operational Conversion Unit, but the experience did reveal deficiencies in the defence of Northern Australia and contributed to the decision to maintain a permanent detachment of No. 81 Wing fighters in Darwin, and later at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory."Operation Handover" – Darwin, September 1964 at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved on 30 November 2010.
The wing converted from Sabres to Mirages between 1964 and 1966, commencing with No. 2 OCU and concluding with No. 76 Squadron; the last-mentioned disbanded in 1973.Dassault Mirage III at RAAF Museum. Retrieved on 30 November 2010. No. 81 Wing itself disbanded at Williamtown in December 1966. No. 75 Squadron was based at RAAF Base Butterworth, Malaysia, from 1967 until 1983, when it relocated to Darwin. Following conversion to the F/A-18 Hornet in 1988, it transferred to Tindal.F/A-18 Hornet at RAAF Museum. Retrieved on 30 November 2010. Owing to its remote location, it became the largest Hornet squadron, employing an extensive maintenance section to ensure readiness.No 75 Squadron at RAAF Museum. Retrieved on 1 May 2013.
Current establishment and Middle East deployments