Aircraft T-Shirts

The P-3C Orion served as the Royal Australian Air Force's primary maritime patrol aircraft for over four decades, from 1968 to 2019, making it one of the longest-serving aircraft in Australian military aviation history.

Service Operated mainly by No. 10 and No. 11 Squadrons from RAAF bases in Edinburgh and Townsville, the Orion performed anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance, search and rescue, intelligence gathering, and humanitarian support across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Deployments The P-3C saw active service in East Timor, the Middle East, counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa, and across the Pacific Islands.

Capability It offered over 12 hours of endurance per mission, advanced submarine detection systems, and the ability to carry torpedoes, missiles, and depth charges.

Legacy Retired in 2019 and replaced by the P-8A Poseidon, the Orion remains a defining chapter in RAAF history. For the thousands who flew and maintained her, it represents an extraordinary record of service to Australia.

The UH-60A Blackhawk served with the Australian Army Aviation Corps from 1987, primarily with 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville, operating closely alongside RAAF assets throughout its service life.

Key Roles

• Tactical troop transport
• Special operations support
• Crew training and joint exercises
• Disaster relief and humanitarian response

The CH-47F Chinook is the Australian Army's primary heavy-lift helicopter, operated by 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville, Queensland.

Military Roles

• Heavy lift and logistics — Moving troops, fuel, ammunition, and equipment into areas unreachable by ground
• Underslung load operations — Lifting artillery, vehicles, and engineering equipment with precision
• Special operations support — Working with SASR and 2nd Commando Regiment for insertion, extraction, and resupply
• Joint operations — Operating alongside RAAF, Navy, and allied forces

Humanitarian Roles

• Disaster relief, search and rescue, and bushfire response across remote and affected areas

Strategic Value The CH-47F's payload, range, and versatility make it an irreplaceable asset for projecting force rapidly across northern Australia and the broader Indo-Pacific region.