Air-Force Australia releases amazing Legacy Hornet photo shoot

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Three RAAF Hornets from No. 77 Squadron fly in formation during air-to-air photo shoot.

In recent days, the Australian Department of Defense has released amazing shots of Boeing F/A-18A Hornets of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), taken during an air-to-air photo shoot made to pay homage to the aircraft before its upcoming withdrawal from service.

The photo shoot took place on 28 October 2020 off the coast of Newcastle, New South Wales (NSW). It included three F/A-18As from Squadron No. 77 at the RAAF base in Williamtown, NSW.

The three Hornets involved in the formation were the serial numbers A21-07, A21-23 and A21-39. Two of them wore a stunning special livery.

The first – serial A21-39 – celebrates 33 years of Hornet operations with No 77 Squadron. The aircraft’s spine and tail is painted dark green and features the words “1987-2020 33 Years Hornet” in white lettering. Inside the tails of the aircraft there is the image of an oriental lion, the same one found on the crest of the No. 77 Squadron. Furthermore, it flew in "beast mode", carrying a mix of AMRAAM and ASRAAM missiles.

The second - serial A21-23 - is the "Worimi Hornet", unveiled on 24 February 2015 at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon Airport in Geelong, Victoria. The Hornet was painted to reflect the RAAF's commitment to indigenous men and women who have served or continue to serve in the Australian Defense Forces (ADF).

The RAAF fleet included a total of 75 Hornets, 57 F/A-18A single-seaters and 18 F/A-18B two-seaters. The No. 77 Squadron is expected to replace its Hornets with the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II strike fighter.

However, not all Australian Hornets will be decommissioned, some of them will continue their life under other operators in the future. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will operate a total of 25 ex-Australian aircraft to supplement its fleet of CF-188A/B Hornets while waiting for a suitable replacement (Read more). Air USA also plans to acquire a series of former RAAF Hornets for use as Contractor Owned and Contractor Operated (COCO) attack aircraft in Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) operations (Read more).

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