The Mantis UAV, designed and built by BAE Systems, completed its first flight at the Woomera range in South Australia, BAE announced on November 13.

Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) and the RAAF held a ceremony at RAAF Base Amberley in early November, to commemorate the completion of the F-111 Deeper Maintenance Program, ahead of the fleet's planned retirement at the end of 2010.

The Government has approved the acquisition of the first batch of Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft.

Aviation technicians with 278 Squadron are beginning training on the F/A-18 Visual Environment Maintenance Trainer (VEMT) at RAAF Amberley.

A retired DHC-4 Caribou aircraft will become a permanent static display at RAAF Base Amberley in recognition of its long association with the area.

The first of the RAAF's 24 Boeing F/A-18Fs took off on its initial flight from Lambert International Airport in St Louis on 20 July 2009.