In December 1943, No. 9 OG's Kittyhawks took part in a series of attacks culminating in the Battle of Arawe. As the Pacific conflict gradually shifted further north, operational tasking lessened and No. 9 OG became colloquially known in the RAAF as the "Non-Ops Group". It assumed the duties of a garrison force in New Guinea and was renamed Northern Command on 11 April 1944, to better reflect its new function. Its mobile strike role was taken over by No. 10 Operational Group (later renamed the Australian First Tactical Air Force), which had been formed on 13 November 1943.