Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 05 Sept 2013

TNI-AU (Indonesian Air Force) Su-30MK2

Two more Sukhoi Su-30MK2 Flankers have arrived in Indonesia in knocked down condition from Russia. This completes Indonesia's order of Flankers.

Boeing is still warily confident of the F-15SE Silent Eagle being selected in South Korea when the expected announcement is made in 2-3 weeks. This wariness is despite reports that both the F-35 and Typhoon have already been eliminated.

The last Australian F-111 designated as a museum piece has left RAAF Amberley on it's way to the Pacific Aviation Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii on board an RAAF C-17.

After a delivery flight interrupted by a lightning strike on one of the aircraft, the last three Gripens Thailand has on order have arrived at Surat Thani, home to the RTAF's Wing 7.

Retired Australian F-111s dumped at landfill

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has buried 23 of its retired General Dynamics F-111 strike aircraft at a landfill near their former base of RAAF Amberley, close to Brisbane in the Australian state of Queensland. The RAAF retired their last F-111s in December 2010, and the hulks have been in open storage since. Export restrictions, as well as health concerns, meant that the RAAF's options for disposal of the airframes were severely limited.



The F-111 disposal contract was awarded to Thiess Services, which was selected due to it's expertise in waste management as well as the security offered by Swanbank Landfill. The precise GPS coordinates of the resting place of each aircraft has been recorded to ensure the site is marked as off-limits to future excavation. Eventually the F-111s will rest deep beneath the landscape as the mountain of landfill rises above them.

Six F-111s have already been allocated for preservation at RAAF Bases, comprising two at RAAF Base Amberley, two at the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, Victoria; one at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia; and one at RAAF Base Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. It was also announced on September 30, 2011, that a further seven F-111s are being made available to interested Australian aircraft museums and other historical organisations. The video below is a compilation of how two of Australia's commercial TV networks covered the story.

Farewell F-111

An era in aviation has come to an end as the Royal Australian Air Force has held a big ceremony saying goodbye to the F-111 late last week. A lot of photos are linked in the article.

Era of F-111 ends

A chapter of aviation history will end with the retirement of the Royal Australian Air Force's last F-111s on the 2nd of December. Since its first flight almost 46 years ago, the F-111 has flown operational missions over Vietnam, Libya, Iraq and East Timor.

F-111s buzz over Darwin one last time

Another last for the F-111; the RAAF's Pigs have flown over Darwin for the last time, returning to Amberley after being at the Top End since June for Exercise Pitch Black and Kakadu. The type will be retired in December.

GALLERY: Aircraft arrive at RAAF Darwin for Pitch Black

The ADF has put up a gallery of aircraft arrivals into RAAF Darwin for Exercise Pitch Black.

This, and Ex Kakadu to follow immediately after Pitch Black, will be the last multinational exercises for the RAAF's F-111s which will retire in December.

More at the ADF's Pitch Black website.