RAAF Base Williamtown

RAAF Base Williamtown
Part of Newcastle Airport
Williamtown, New South Wales in Australia
F/A-18 Hornet taking off from RAAF Base Williamtown
Site information
TypeMilitary air base
OwnerDepartment of Defence
OperatorRoyal Australian Air Force
WebsiteRAAF Base Williamtown
Location
RAAF Base Williamtown
YWLM
Location of RAAF Williamtown in New South Wales
Coordinates32°47′42″S 151°50′04″E / 32.79500°S 151.83444°E / -32.79500; 151.83444
Site history
In use15 February 1941 (1941-02-15) – present
Garrison information
Garrison
Occupants
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: NTL, ICAO: YWLM
Elevation9 metres (31 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
12/30 3,058 metres (10,033 ft) Asphalt
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1]

RAAF Base Williamtown (IATA: NTL, ICAO: YWLM) is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) north of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. The base serves as the headquarters to both the Air Combat Group and the Surveillance and Response Group of the RAAF.

The base operates a single runway which is shared with Newcastle Airport with the Department of Defence leasing rights to use the runway.

History

RAAF Station Williamtown was established on 15 February 1941 to provide protection for the strategic port and steel manufacturing facilities in Newcastle.[2] The base originally had four runways, each 1,100 m (3,600 ft) in length to meet the needs of the Williamtown Flying School. The school consisted of 62 buildings which accommodated 366 officers and men.

A number of Australian Empire Air Training Scheme squadrons were formed at Williamtown before proceeding overseas and No. 4 Operational Training Unit was located at Williamtown from October 1942 until the unit was disbanded in April 1944. Following World War II, Williamtown was retained as the RAAF's main fighter base and was equipped with squadrons of Gloster Meteor and CAC Sabre fighters.[3][4][5]

In 1961, the squadron of Meteors were replaced with the Dassault Mirage IIIs.[4] On-base facilities were gradually expanded post war and through until the late 1960s.

In 1983, the role of Williamtown was upgraded to a tactical fighter base in preparation of the replacement of the Mirages with 75 F/A-18 Hornets in 1989.[6][7] The following year, Williamtown became headquarters for the Tactical Fighter group and acquired new headquarter buildings, hangars, workshops, stores, medical facilities and a base chapel.[4]

Base Activity

RAAF Williamtown has several aircraft operating within it, including Boeing E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, F-35A Multirole Fighter, Hawk 127 Trainer, and PC-21 Trainer aircraft all operated by various squadrons.[8] Williamtown formerly operated F/A-18 Hornets[9] and Pilatus PC-9 Trainers.[10]

RAAF Base Williamtown has sporting fields, recreation facilities, cinema and a fortnightly newspaper.[11] RAAF Williamtown is the home to Fighter World, a museum dedicated to Australian fighter aircraft.[12]

In 2014, the Australian Government announced that Williamtown would be the home base for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters; the first of which arrived in December 2018,[13] and entered service with the RAAF in 2020.[14][15] Redevelopment works to prepare the base for the F-35, including a 2000 ft runway extension, began in January 2015.[16][17] This runway extension allows fighters to take off without the use of their afterburners, minimising noise for local communities.[18][19] Fifty-six of the seventy-two F35s will be based at Williamtown.[18]

The use of firefighting chemicals over a sustained period has resulted in contamination of the groundwater in the area surrounding the base, with residents initiating a class action lawsuit and expressing ongoing concern in national media over the impact on their properties.[20][21][22][23] Nationally, there are 90 sites impacted by PFAS contamination, with more internationally.[24][25]

Units

The following units are located at RAAF Base Williamtown:[26]

Unit Full name Force Element Group Wing Aircraft Notes
1ATS DET WLM No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Detachment Williamtown Combat Support Group N/A
1CCS DET WLM No. 1 Combat Communications Squadron Detachment Williamtown Combat Support Group N/A [8]
1RSU No. 1 Remote Sensor Unit Surveillance and Response Group N/A
1SECFOR No. 1 Security Forces Squadron Combat Support Group N/A
2SQN No. 2 Squadron Surveillance and Response Group 42 E-7A
2EHS No. 2 Expeditionary Health Squadron Combat Support Group N/A
2OCU No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit Air Combat Group 81 F-35A
3SQN No. 3 Squadron Air Combat Group 81 F-35A
4SQN No. 4 Squadron Air Combat Group 78 PC-21
3CRU No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit Surveillance and Response Group N/A [27]
26SQN No. 26 (City of Newcastle) Squadron Combat Support Group N/A Airbase operations[26]
HQ453SQN Headquarters No. 453 Squadron Surveillance and Response Group N/A
453SQN WLM FLT No. 453 Squadron Williamtown Flight Surveillance and Response Group N/A
76SQN No. 76 Squadron Air Combat Group 78 BAE-Hawk 127
77SQN No. 77 Squadron Air Combat Group 81 F-35A
278SQN No. 278 Squadron Air Combat Group N/A
381ECSS No. 381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron Combat Support Group N/A Contingency operations[26]
CSU-WLM Combat Support Unit – Williamtown Combat Support Group N/A
HQ41WG Headquarters No. 41 Wing Surveillance and Response Group N/A
HQ42WG Headquarters No. 42 Wing Surveillance and Response Group N/A
HQ44WG Headquarters No. 44 Wing Surveillance and Response Group N/A
HQ78WG Headquarters No. 78 Wing Air Combat Group N/A [26]
HQ81WG Headquarters No. 81 Wing Air Combat Group N/A
HQACG Headquarters Air Combat Group Air Combat Group N/A
HQSRG Surveillance and Response Group Surveillance and Response Group N/A
SACTU Surveillance and Control Training Unit Surveillance and Response Group N/A
335SQN AAFC No. 335 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets Australian Air Force Cadets N/A [28]
AEWCSPO Airborne Early Warning Control System Program Office Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group N/A [26]
GTESPO Ground Telecommunications Equipment Systems Program Office Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group N/A
TFSPO Tactical Fighter System Program Office Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group N/A

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  1. ^ YWLM – Williamtown (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 19 March 2026, Aeronautical Chart Archived 10 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine p. 1
  2. ^ Government administration and defence Newcastle and the Hunter Region 2008–2009 Hunter Valley Research Foundation
  3. ^ Meteor Jets Arrive Newcastle Herald 22 December 1954 page 3
  4. ^ a b c "RAAF Base Williamtown & Salt Ash Air Weapons Range Williamtown, NSW Heritage Management Plan". Department of Defence. 11 September 2009. pp. 32–33. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  5. ^ Under pressure Australian Aviation issue 253 September 2008 pages 30-34
  6. ^ $100m project at RAAF base Canberra Times 7 February 1983 page 8
  7. ^ Airbase upgrade to cost $106m Engineers Australia 1 April 1983 page 29
  8. ^ a b "RAAF Base Williamtown | Air Force". Royal Australian Air Force. 1 February 2025. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  9. ^ "RAAF Museum: RAAF Aircraft Series 3 A21 F/A-18 Hornet". 25 June 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  10. ^ "RAAF retires the Pilatus PC-9/A". AviationWA. 9 February 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  11. ^ "RADAR Magazine home page". radarnews.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014.
  12. ^ "About Fighter World". Fighter World. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  13. ^ Pittaway, Nigel (10 December 2018). "F-35 fighters arrive on Australian soil". Defense News.
  14. ^ Egan, Geoff (24 April 2014). "Williamtown the winner over Amberley for F-35s". Queensland Times. Australia. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  15. ^ Smart, Philip (7 May 2015). "Williamtown starts on F-35 facilities". Australian Defence Magazine. Australia. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  16. ^ Elias, Charles (31 December 2014). "Williamtown RAAF Base work to start in January". Port Stephens Examiner. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  17. ^ Elias, Charles (1 April 2015). "Upgrade of air base takes off". Port Stephens Examiner. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  18. ^ a b "RAAF base Williamtown wants to fly neighbourly as its spends $1.5 billion on facilities". News.com.au. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  19. ^ Media, News of the Area-Modern (30 September 2016). "RAAF Base Williamtown runway extension opens". News of the Area. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  20. ^ Bevan, Matt (20 May 2016). "Williamtown water contamination becomes key issue in tight electorate race" (Streaming audio). Radio National. Sydney. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  21. ^ Bevan, Matthew (14 June 2016). "Williamtown and Oakey residents to receive Fed Govt support" (Streaming audio). Radio National. Sydney. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  22. ^ "Ground water contamination at RAAF Base Williamtown". Maitland Mercury. Maitland. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  23. ^ "Residents file toxic water class action over RAAF base". SBS TV. Australia. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  24. ^ Fellner, Carrie; Begley, Patrick (17 June 2018). "Toxic Secrets: Where the sites with PFAS contamination are near you". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  25. ^ "Agencies investigating potential water contamination". Radio New Zealand. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  26. ^ a b c d e "RAAF Base Williamtown". Royal Australian Air Force. Archived from the original on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  27. ^ "Surveillance and Response Group". Royal Australian Air Force. Australian Government. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  28. ^ "3 Wing AAFC – NSW & ACT – Australian Air Force Cadets". Australian Air Force Cadets.
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