Australia's last squadron of F/A-18A/B "Classic" Hornets will be retired at the Tindal RAAF Base from 2022.
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There is a new timeline for the conversion of Tindal's 75 Squadron to the F-35A fighter jets.
Katherine Times has been told the RAAF has received 25 F-35As from the 72 US-made aircraft on order from Lockheed Martin.
It is expected the first squadron of the fifth generation Joint Strike Fighters will be operational at Williamtown RAAF Base early next year.
Tindal's 75 Squadron is expected to begin conversion to the new jets in January 2022 to achieve final operational capability by the end of 2023.
The Federal Government plans to commit more than $1.6 billion to the upgrade of the Tindal base for the arrival of the new fighters and to provide joint facilities for the US military.
Most of the pilot training on this fifth-generation warplane will happen at Williamtown but the combat-ready planes will be headed for Tindal ready for deployment to the north.
Costing an estimated $124 million apiece, the F-35A's will be a game-changer for the RAAF, Defence Minister Christopher Pyne said in 2018.
The jets have a top speed 1.6 times the speed of sound at almost 2000kmh.
"This is the most advanced, multi-role stealth fighter in the world," he said.
The F-35A's are supposed to be super-stealthy but as the people of Katherine may soon discover, they also have a reputation for being loud.
Australia's "fleet" of about 71 F/A18-A/B Classic Hornets, is expected to be retired from 2023.
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