RAAF Base Tindal
Encyclopedia
RAAF Base Tindal is a Royal Australian Air Force
air base located near the town of Katherine
in the Northern Territory
. The base is currently home to No. 75 Squadron
and a number of non-flying units, and also hosts the Katherine Tindal Airport civilian airfield.
The airfield was renamed in honour of Wing Commander
Archibald R. Tindal, the first RAAF officer killed in action on the Australia
n mainland during the bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942. Tindal is buried at the Adelaide River
war cemetery.
The airfield was later occupied by No. 5 Replenishing Centre RAAF. The RAAF ceased basing operational units at the airfield following the end of World War II
.
Between 1963 and 1970, No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF
rebuilt the runway, taxiways and hard stand to handle larger, more modern aircraft and enable the base to operate as a 'bare base'
. In 1968, it was opened as Katherine
's second domestic airport, being used by Ansett-ANA, TAA and Conellen. The base was occasionally used by units based at RAAF Base Darwin
and other bases.
In 1984, the Australian government decided to move the RAAF's fast jet base in the Northern Territory from RAAF Darwin to Tindal. This move was intended to provide the RAAF with a base which was outside the cyclone zone and easier to defend against external attack. After a major upgrade RAAF Tindal became operational on 1 October 1988 and was officially opened on 31 March 1989 by the then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke
.
Since its establishment, RAAF Tindal has served as the RAAF's main operational base in the Northern Territory. The base regularly hosts other units for exercises and was used to support the Australian-led intervention into East Timor
in 1999.
In keeping with Tindal's role as a front-line operational air base, it is one of the few Australian defence establishments to be manned exclusively by uniformed personnel. In addition, the base has more defensive installations than is common in Australian air bases and can host hundreds of ground troops.
In the late 1980s, with the closure of the Katherine Aerodrome, the bases civilian facilities were upgraded. A general aviation
apron and civilian passenger terminal were built under an agreement between the RAAF and Katherine Town Council. The civilian area is known as Katherine Tindal Airport.
A detachment of two Boeing Wedgetail
AWACS aircraft from No. 2 Squadron
will be based at Tindal after these aircraft enter service.
In addition, the Army's NORFORCE
Regional Force Surveillance Unit
has a detachment located at Tindal.
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
air base located near the town of Katherine
Katherine, Northern Territory
Katherine is a town situated southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of Australia in the Northern Territory. It is the fourth largest settlement in the Territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs...
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. The base is currently home to No. 75 Squadron
No. 75 Squadron RAAF
No. 75 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter unit based at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory. The squadron was formed in 1942 and saw extensive action in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II, operating P-40 Kittyhawks. It was disbanded in 1948, but reformed the...
and a number of non-flying units, and also hosts the Katherine Tindal Airport civilian airfield.
History
RAAF Tindal was initially built for the RAAF as Carson's Airfield, also known as Kit Carson's Field, in 1942. The airfield was constructed by the 43rd Engineer General Services Regiment (US Army) and the Civil Construction Corps. Further works were undertaken by No. 1 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF and No. 3 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF.The airfield was renamed in honour of Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Archibald R. Tindal, the first RAAF officer killed in action on the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n mainland during the bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942. Tindal is buried at the Adelaide River
Adelaide River, Northern Territory
Adelaide River is a town where the Stuart Highway crosses the Adelaide River in the Northern Territory of Australia, upstream of the Adelaide and Mary River Floodplains Important Bird Area. At the 2006 census, Adelaide River had a population of 190...
war cemetery.
The airfield was later occupied by No. 5 Replenishing Centre RAAF. The RAAF ceased basing operational units at the airfield following the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Between 1963 and 1970, No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF
No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron RAAF
No. 5 Airfield Construction Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force construction squadron. The unit was first formed in July 1942 and served in New Guinea and Borneo during World War II. Following the war it formed part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan until it was...
rebuilt the runway, taxiways and hard stand to handle larger, more modern aircraft and enable the base to operate as a 'bare base'
RAAF Bare Bases
The Royal Australian Air Force currently maintains three Bare Bases in remote areas of Northern Australia. These bases were developed in the 1980s and 1990s in line with the Defence of Australia Policy in order to enhance the RAAF's ability to conduct combat operations from the Australian mainland...
. In 1968, it was opened as Katherine
Katherine, Northern Territory
Katherine is a town situated southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of Australia in the Northern Territory. It is the fourth largest settlement in the Territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs...
's second domestic airport, being used by Ansett-ANA, TAA and Conellen. The base was occasionally used by units based at RAAF Base Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin
RAAF Base Darwin is a Royal Australian Air Force base located in the city of Darwin, Northern Territory. The base shares its runway with Darwin International Airport.-History:...
and other bases.
In 1984, the Australian government decided to move the RAAF's fast jet base in the Northern Territory from RAAF Darwin to Tindal. This move was intended to provide the RAAF with a base which was outside the cyclone zone and easier to defend against external attack. After a major upgrade RAAF Tindal became operational on 1 October 1988 and was officially opened on 31 March 1989 by the then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
.
Since its establishment, RAAF Tindal has served as the RAAF's main operational base in the Northern Territory. The base regularly hosts other units for exercises and was used to support the Australian-led intervention into East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
in 1999.
In keeping with Tindal's role as a front-line operational air base, it is one of the few Australian defence establishments to be manned exclusively by uniformed personnel. In addition, the base has more defensive installations than is common in Australian air bases and can host hundreds of ground troops.
In the late 1980s, with the closure of the Katherine Aerodrome, the bases civilian facilities were upgraded. A general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
apron and civilian passenger terminal were built under an agreement between the RAAF and Katherine Town Council. The civilian area is known as Katherine Tindal Airport.
Units
| Unit name | FEG | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| No. 44 Wing Detachment Tindal No. 44 Wing RAAF No. 44 Wing is a Royal Australian Air Force wing responsible for providing air traffic control services to the Australian Defence Force. It directly commands two squadrons which in turn command 11 air traffic control flights located across the country at nine RAAF bases, HMAS Albatross and Oakey... |
Surveillance and Response Group Surveillance and Response Group RAAF The Surveillance and Response Group is a Force Element Group of the Royal Australian Air Force with its headquarters at RAAF Base Williamtown.... |
|
| No. 75 Squadron No. 75 Squadron RAAF No. 75 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter unit based at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory. The squadron was formed in 1942 and saw extensive action in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II, operating P-40 Kittyhawks. It was disbanded in 1948, but reformed the... |
Air Combat Group Air Combat Group RAAF The Royal Australian Air Force's Air Combat Group is the group which administers the RAAF's fighter and bomber aircraft. ACG was formed on 7 February 2002 by merging the RAAF's Tactical Fighter Group and Strike Reconnaissance Group in an attempt to improve the speed with which the RAAF can deploy... |
F/A-18 |
| No. 278 Squadron Detachment Tindal No. 278 Squadron RAAF No 278 Squadron formed on 1 July 2003. The squadron's formation removes day-to-day management responsibility of No. 78 Wing RAAF Technical Training and Operational Flight Trainer support elements from the Wing Headquarters.... |
Air Combat Group | |
| No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Detachment Tindal No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron RAAF No. 1 Airfield Operations Support Squadron is Headquartered at RAAF Base Townsville. The squadron has detachments at each of the major RAAF Bases around Australia... |
Combat Support Group | |
| No. 322 Combat Support Squadron No. 322 Combat Support Squadron RAAF No. 322 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force ground support squadron based at RAAF Base Tindal near Katherine, Northern Territory... |
Combat Support Group | |
| No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit Detachment Tindal RAAF No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit RAAF No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit is a Royal Australian Air Force surveillance unit. 3CRU is currently located at RAAF Base Williamtown near Newcastle, New South Wales and is primarily responsible for conducting surveillance of the air-sea gap between Australia and its northern neighbours... |
|Surveillance and Response Group | |
A detachment of two Boeing Wedgetail
Boeing Wedgetail
The Boeing 737 AEW&C is a twin-engine airborne early warning and control aircraft. It is lighter than the 707-based Boeing E-3 Sentry, and mounts a fixed, electronically scanned, rather than a rotating, radar antenna. It was designed for the Royal Australian Air Force under "Project Wedgetail"...
AWACS aircraft from No. 2 Squadron
No. 2 Squadron RAAF
No. 2 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. From its formation in 1916, it has operated a variety of aircraft types including fighters, bombers, and Airborne Early Warning & Control.-World War I:No...
will be based at Tindal after these aircraft enter service.
In addition, the Army's NORFORCE
NORFORCE
The NORFORCE is an infantry regiment of the Australian Army Reserve. Formed in 1981, the regiment is one of three Regional Force Surveillance Units employed in surveillance and reconnaissance of the remote areas of Northern Australia.-History:In the late-1970s and early 1980s the need for a...
Regional Force Surveillance Unit
Regional Force Surveillance Units
"RFSU" redirects here. For the Swedish organization, see Swedish Association for Sexuality EducationThe Regional Force Surveillance Units are specialised infantry units of the Australian Army Reserve responsible for patrolling northern Australia...
has a detachment located at Tindal.
Civilian airlines and destinations
- Aboriginal Air ServicesAboriginal Air ServicesAboriginal Air Services was an umbrella company of 4 distinct airlines owned by the Aboriginal people of Australia. The four companies gradually came together as a consortium over the nearly twenty years 20 years. These four separately owned entities have come together over the past 20 years to...
(Darwin, Victoria River Downs) - Katherine Aviation (Groote Eylandt, Nhulunbuy/Gove, Ngukurr, Borroloola, Lajamanu, Kalkaringi)
External links
- RAAF Tindal Official Website
- Order of Battle at Scramble