 In 2007, Australia decided to retire all of its RAAF F-111s. The drawdown of the RAAF's F-111 fleet began with the retirement of the F-111G models operated by No. 6 Squadron in late 2007. One of the reasons given for the F-111s' retirement was that they required an average of 180 hours maintenance for every flight hour. In March 2008, after a review, the new Labor government confirmed its purchase of the 24 F / A-18F Super Hornets as an "interim" measure until the delivery of the F-35s; in 2010, the government signed the acquisition contract. The final RAAF F-111 aircrew conversion took place in 2009, with four pilots and two Air Combat Officers (ACOs) qualifying. The RAAF retired its last F-111s on 3 December 2010, after the final flight by aircraft from No. 6 Squadron over southern Queensland.
