RAAF Base Williamtown

RAAF Base Williamtown
An F/A-18A Hornet taking off from RAAF Base Williamtown
The entrance to Fighter World museum
IATA: NTL – ICAO: YWLM
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Royal Australian Air Force
Location	Williamtown, New South Wales, Australia
Built	15 February 1941
In use	1941-present
Elevation AMSL	31 ft / 9 m
Coordinates	32°47′42″S 151°50′04″E
Website	RAAF Base Williamtown
Map
YWLM Location in New South Wales
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 12/30 2,438 7,999 Asphalt
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart

RAAF Base Williamtown (IATA: NTL, ICAO: YWLM) is a Royal Australian Air Force base and headquarters to Australia's Air Combat Group. The base is located 8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi) north of the coastal city of Newcastle, New South Wales (27 km (17 mi) by road) in the local government area (LGA) of Port Stephens. The military base shares its runway facilities with Newcastle Airport. The nearest towns are Raymond Terrace, located 8 km (5 mi) west of the base and Medowie, 6.8 km (4.2 mi), north of the base, which is home to many of the base's staff.

History

RAAF Station Williamtown was established on 15 February 1941 to provide protection for the strategic port and steel manufacturing facilities of the Hunter Region. The base was initially served by 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 accommodates 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 F-86 Sabre fighters.

In 1961 the squadron of Meteors were replaced with the Dassault Mirage aircraft. 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. 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.

Current-day

Currently Williamtown employs approximately 3,500 personnel, including military, civilians and contractors, and injects $150 million per annum by way of salaries into the Hunter Region economy. Williamtown is currently home to F/A-18 Hornet fighters (operated by No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, No. 3 Squadron and No. 77 Squadron), BAE Hawk 127 Lead-In Fighters (operated by No. 76 Squadron), Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft (operated by No. 2 Squadron) and Pilatus PC-9 training aircraft (operated by No. 4 Squadron). It is also home to a number of headquarters and other units such as the Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre and Surveillance and Response Group.

RAAF Base Williamtown has most of the facilities you would expect to find in a small town, including sporting fields, recreation facilities, cinema and even a fortnightly newspaper highlighting activities around the Base and outside community.

In addition to its military units, RAAF Williamtown is the home to Fighter World, a museum dedicated to Australian fighter aircraft.

Units

Unit	Full Name	Force Element Group	Aircraft
1ATS DET WLM	No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Detachment Williamtown	Combat Support Group	N/A
2SQN	No. 2 Squadron	Surveillance and Response Group	B737 AEW&C
2ATHS	No. 2 Air Transportable Health Squadron	Combat Support Group	N/A
2OCU	No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit	Air Combat Group	F/A-18
3SQN	No. 3 Squadron	Air Combat Group	F/A-18
4SQN	No. 4 Squadron		PC-9
3CRU	No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit	Surveillance and Response Group	N/A
26SQN	No. 26 Squadron	Combat Support Group	N/A
44WG DET WLM	No. 44 Wing Detachment Williamtown	Surveillance and Response Group	N/A
76SQN	No. 76 Squadron	Air Combat Group	BAe-Hawk 127
77SQN	No. 77 Squadron	Air Combat Group	F/A-18
278SQN	No. 278 Squadron	Air Combat Group	N/A
381ECSS	No. 381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron	Combat Support Group	N/A
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
HQ81WG	Headquarters No. 81 Wing	Air Combat Group	N/A
HQACG	Headquarters Air Combat Group	Air Combat Group	N/A
HQSRG	Headquarters 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

Defence Materiel Organisation Units

• AEWCSPO - Airborne Early Warning Control System Program Office
• GTESPO - Ground Telecommunications Electronic System Program Office
• TFSPO - Tactical Fighter System Program Office

See also

• United States Army Air Forces in Australia (World War II)
• List of airports in New South Wales

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Business NSW