 By December 1943, the character of the air war in northern Australia had changed markedly, as the Japanese were no longer able to mount air raids against Darwin; rather than merely securing NWA, Cole was keen to adopt an offensive strategy in the Dutch East Indies. According to David Horner, "In the sense that he had to plan and conduct his own campaign, the AOC Northwestern Area was one of the RAAF's few operational level commanders, even if the campaign was somewhat static and limited". During March – April 1944, NWA had thirteen squadrons under its control, including those of No. 79 Wing, and supported amphibious operations against Hollandia and Aitape. In May, its aircraft bombed Surabaya as part of Operation Transom. Under NWA's direction, No. 79 Wing took part in the Allied attack on Noemfoor in June – July; sorties by all NWA aircraft in July totalled 704. No. 79 Wing was subsequently earmarked for transfer from NWA to Northern Command (formerly No. 9 Operational Group) in Papua New Guinea, to undertake operations against the Japanese in New Britain. No. 1 Wing received two fresh British squadrons of Spitfires in July, to replace two that had been transferred to No. 80 Wing, which had formed in Darwin for a planned assault on Selaru that did not eventuate. No. 44 Wing was disbanded on 22 August 1944, and its radar stations divested to other units in the area. The same month, No. 61 Wing departed the Northern Territory for Morotai Island, where it later came under the control of the RAAF's main mobile strike force, First Tactical Air Force.
