The RAAF’s Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) celebrated its 75th anniversary in a ceremony at RAAF Base Edinburgh on November 30.
The event included a parade of unit personnel and was witnessed by Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal ‘Leo’ Davies.
The Air Force’s premier testing organisation was formed as No.1 Aircraft Performance Unit (APU) at RAAF Laverton in Victoria on December 1, 1943, using the Special Duties and Performance Flight of No.1 Aircraft Depot (1 AD) as its nucleus. It was renamed the Aircraft Research and Development Unit in 1947 and in 1977 it relocated to its current home at Edinburgh.
Although it only operates three PC-9/A aircraft in its own right (soon to be replaced by the PC-21), ARDU has a critical and ongoing role to play in the introduction, upgrade and sustainment of every platform currently in service with the RAAF and Army Aviation Corps.
“Modern testing of our fleet has included C-27J, E-7A Wedgetail, our Classic Hornets, our KC-30As, P-8As, ARH and MRH-90 helicopters and the F-35 weapons bay – in developing that weapons bay, ARDU had a large part to play,” AM Davies told ARDU personnel and invited guests.
“ARDU’s mission statement reflects the Air Force expectation: effective, operationally focussed and relevant test and evaluation. ARDU’s motto, “Prove to Accomplish” could not be more fitting, so I say to you that your 75 years is full of proof and full of accomplishment.”
Commanding Officer of ARDU Wing Commander Daniel Rich said that the unit’s role is continuing to evolve from the traditional Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E) focus, to that of Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E), which includes the entire lifecycle of an aircraft, weapon or subsystem, from Acceptance Test and Evaluation through its operational career in the ADF.
“What ARDU brings to the Air Force is a workforce of highly trained specialists who have a current and relevant operational background. Everyone at ARDU is an experienced operator of their parent platforms, be they an air mobility pilot, fighter pilot, or experienced engineers or mission aircrew, and their experience is combined with outstanding flight test training that we receive from foreign military and civil test schools overseas,” WGCDR Rich explained.
“We have people who are both extremely motivated and highly-equipped to be able to look at things objectively and provide the testing rigour that we need when we’re understanding a new ‘thing’ or property.”