No. 81 Wing is responsible for operating the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II multi-role fighters of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Headquartered at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales, the wing comprises three combat units, Nos. 3 and 77 Squadrons based at Williamtown and No. 75 Squadron at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory, as well as an operational conversion unit at Williamtown. No. 81 Wing headquarters oversees squadron training in air-to-air and air-to-ground tactics, and support for the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy. Tasked with offensive and defensive counter-air operations, the Hornets have been deployed to Diego Garcia in 2001–02, when they provided local air defence, to Iraq in 2003, when they saw action flying fighter escort and close air support missions in concert with Coalition forces, and to the Middle East in 2015–16, when they undertook strike operations during the military intervention against ISIL. They have also been employed to patrol high-profile events in Australia, including the Commonwealth Games and visits by foreign dignitaries.
Formed in April 1944, No. 81 Wing comprised three flying units, Nos. 76, 77 and 82 Squadrons, operating P-40 Kittyhawk fighters in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. Following the end of hostilities, the wing converted to P-51 Mustangs and was based in Japan as part of the Allied occupational forces; it disbanded there in November 1948. Re-formed at Williamtown in January 1961, its complement included Nos. 75 and 76 Squadrons, and No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, operating CAC Sabre jets. The Sabres were deployed to RAAF Base Darwin, Northern Territory, in 1964 to guard against possible attack by Indonesian forces during the Konfrontasi with Malaysia. No. 81 Wing converted to Dassault Mirage III supersonic fighters before disbanding in December 1966. It was re-formed again at Williamtown in February 1987, to operate the Hornet. The wing also controlled Nos. 25 (later 79) and 76 Squadrons, flying Macchi lead-in fighters, until they were transferred to No. 78 Wing in 2000.
History
World War II
Established at Ballarat, Victoria, on 12 April 1944, No. 81 Wing operated P-40 Kittyhawk fighters in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. Group Captain Gordon Steege set up headquarters on Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands on 30 August. Comprising Nos. 76, 77 and 82 Squadrons, the formation joined Nos. 77 and 78 Wings on Noemfoor as part of No. 10 Operational Group in September 1944. No. 10 Group was renamed the First Tactical Air Force (No. 1 TAF) in October. The same month, No. 81 Wing undertook offensive sweeps and ground attacks against targets in West Papua. In November, Nos. 77 and 82 Squadrons dive bombed Japanese airfields on Halmahera.
The wing's aircraft flew 1,125 sorties in October and November, dropping over of bombs, for the loss of 15 Kittyhawks and 11 pilots. The relegation of No. 1 TAF to areas of operation bypassed by the main Allied thrust towards the Philippines and Japan led to poor morale. In December 1944, No. 81 Wing's new commander, Group Captain Wilfred Arthur, produced a "balance sheet" to demonstrate that the formation's combat results were not worth the cost in ordnance and casualties, setting in train events that would culminate in the so-called "Morotai Mutiny" the following year. By January 1945, the number of missions flown by No. 81 Wing had dropped to less than 400, from over 1,000 the previous month. In March, the Kittyhawks carried out some 80 patrols around Noemfoor but encountered enemy activity on less than half of these.