No . 81 Wing RAAF No . 81 Wing is the wing responsible for operating the McDonnell Douglas F / A - 18 Hornet 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 based 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 combat , 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 , and to Iraq in 2003 , when they saw action flying fighter escort and close air support missions in concert with Coalition forces . They have also been employed to patrol high - profile events in Australia , including the Commonwealth Games and visits by foreign dignitaries , and acted as contingency support for peacekeeping operations in East Timor in 1999 – 2000 . Formed in April 1944 , No . 81 Wing comprised three flying units , Nos . 76 , 77 and 82 Squadron s , 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 Squadron s , 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 flew 1 , 125 sorties in October and November , dropping over of bombs , for the loss of 15 aircraft 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 . The wing was slated to take part in Operation Oboe One , the invasion of Tarakan , in May 1945 but was unable to move in time from Noemfoor to its new base on Morotai in the Dutch East Indies ; only No . 76 Squadron played any part in the battle , undertaking patrols and convoy escort . The following month , No . 81 Wing flew close support missions for the Australian 9th Division in Operation Oboe Six , the invasion of Labuan . In addition to its three Kittyhawk squadrons , the wing ' s order of battle included No . 457 Squadron flying Spitfires , No . 25 Air Stores Park , No . 24 Medical Clearing Station , No . 22 Repair and Servicing Unit , No . 9 Repair and Servicing Unit Detachment , No . 111 Mobile Fighter Control Unit , and seven Radar Stations — a total of over 2 , 000 personnel . Its commander on Morotai and Labuan was Group Captain Ian McLachlan . No . 81 Wing was to have provided two squadrons in support of Operation Oboe Two , the assault on Balikpapan , in June but Tarakan airfield , from which it was to operate , was not ready in time . The wing was still based on Labuan when the Pacific War ended in August 1945 . Calls soon came to serve with the formation as part of the proposed Commonwealth occupation forces in Japan , and many personnel volunteered to do so . Allied occupation of Japan . No . 81 Wing began re - equipping with P - 51D Mustangs at Labuan in September 1945 . No . 481 ( Maintenance ) Squadron was formed in December from elements of No . 22 Repair and Servicing Unit , No . 25 Air Stores Park , and other units based on Labuan . No . 381 ( Base ) Squadron , established in January 1946 , also utilised personnel and equipment from No . 81 Wing ' s specialist units at Labuan , including No . 47 Operational Base Unit , No . 24 Medical Clearing Station , No . 25 Air Stores Park and No . 2 Airfield Defence Squadron . The base squadron was an administrative and logistical unit , intended to make its wing self - supporting and mobile . Under the leadership of Wing Commander Glen Cooper , No . 81 Wing subsequently transferred to new headquarters at Bofu , a former kamikaze base , where it formed the Australian air contingent of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force ( BCOF ) in Japan until 1948 , when the RAAF presence was reduced . The first of its units to arrive in Japan had been No . 5 Airfield Construction Squadron ( No . 5 ACS ) in December 1945 , followed by the three flying squadrons in March 1946 . No . 82 Squadron lost three Mustangs and an escorting de Havilland Mosquito in bad weather en route to Bofu , killing all crew members . The wing ' s strength was augmented by Nos . 381 and 481 Squadrons , and later No . 111 Mobile Fighter Control Unit ( No . 111 MFCU ) . Also making the journey to Japan was the wing ' s mascot , Flying Officer ( later Flight Lieutenant ) Raleigh , " a small yellow dog and combat - seasoned veteran with over 40 hours operational flying to his credit " . As the Japanese offered no serious resistance to the Allied occupation , No . 81 Wing ' s prime operational duty was surveillance patrols . The RAAF personnel also helped maintain law and order , and supervised elections , while No . 5 ACS , in addition to military construction , contributed to rebuilding local infrastructure . Otherwise they generally maintained a peacetime training regime . By late 1946 , No . 381 Squadron was providing technical support to all BCOF squadrons , including five from Britain , New Zealand and India , as well as to the RAAF contingent . Group Captain Brian Eaton took over command of No . 81 Wing from Cooper in September 1947 . The wing transferred to Iwakuni in April 1948 , the same month that the Federal government determined to reduce Australia ' s contribution to BCOF and disband the formation , retaining only No . 77 Squadron in Japan . Nos . 76 and 82 Squadrons disbanded in October , the former subsequently re - emerging and joining No . 78 Wing when it deployed to Malta in 1952 . No . 81 Wing headquarters and No . 481 Squadron were disbanded in November 1948 , followed by No . 111 MFCU in January 1949 . Detachments of No . 381 Squadron and No . 5 ACS remained with No . 77 Squadron under the aegis of a new organisation called RAAF Component , eventually disbanding in February and April 1950 , respectively . No . 77 Squadron personnel were preparing to return to Australia when , on 25 June 1950 , they were placed on standby for action in the Korean War , which had just broken out ; the unit began flying missions over Korea a week later . Later formations . In January 1961 , No . 81 Wing was re - established at RAAF Base Williamtown , New South Wales . Flying CAC Sabre s , its complement included Nos . 75 and 76 Squadrons , as well as No . 2 Operational Conversion Unit ( No . 2 OCU ) and a re - formed No . 481 Maintenance Squadron . In September 1964 , Nos . 76 and 481 Squadrons were deployed to RAAF Base Darwin , Northern Territory , as part of Operation Handover , a little - publicised contingency plan put into effect during the " Konfrontasi " between Indonesia and Malaysia . No . 76 Squadron ' s Sabres , armed with Sidewinder missiles , were to defend against possible attack by Indonesian forces following the recent establishment of the Federation of Malaysia . This was the first time since World War II that an RAAF flying squadron was positioned " in harm ' s way " on Australian territory . As No . 75 Squadron was effectively out of action pending conversion to the Dassault Mirage III , the deployment meant that practically the entire mainland fighter force had been committed to the north . The Officer Commanding No . 81 Wing , Group Captain A . F . Mather , took on the role of Area Air Defence Commander . No combat ensued , the Sabres ' only interception being a Canberra bomber of No . 1 Operational Conversion Unit , but the experience did reveal deficiencies in the defence of Northern Australia and contributed to the decision to maintain a permanent detachment of No . 81 Wing fighters in Darwin , and later at RAAF Base Tindal . The wing converted from Sabres to Mirages between 1964 and 1966 , commencing with No . 2 OCU and concluding with No . 76 Squadron ; the last - mentioned disbanded in 1973 . No . 81 Wing itself disbanded at Williamtown in December 1966 . No . 75 Squadron was based at RAAF Base Butterworth , Malaysia , from 1967 until 1983 , when it relocated to Darwin . Following conversion to the F / A - 18 Hornet in 1988 , it transferred to Tindal . < ref name = " F / A - 18 " > F / A - 18 Hornet at RAAF Museum . Retrieved on 30 November 2010 . < / ref > Owing to its remote location , it became the largest Hornet squadron , employing an extensive maintenance section to ensure readiness . No . 81 Wing re - formed at Williamtown on 2 February 1987 . Along with No . 75 Squadron at Tindal , its flying units consisted of Nos . 3 and 77 Squadrons based at Williamtown with No . 2 OCU , all of which had converted from the Mirage to the Hornet between 1985 and 1987 , the last - mentioned being the prime operator of the two - seat F / A - 18B trainers . Having continued to perform fighter maintenance through the 1960s and ' 70s , No . 481 Squadron was disbanded on 31 January 1987 . It re - formed the next day as No . 481 Wing under No . 81 Wing ' s parent organisation , Tactical Fighter Group ( TFG ) , and consisted of two squadrons , Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Williamtown ( AMSWLM ) and Aircraft Equipment Maintenance Squadron Williamtown ( AEMSWLM ) . By 1996 , No . 81 Wing had been augmented by Nos . 25 and 76 Squadrons , operating Macchi MB - 326 lead - in fighters , the former based at RAAF Base Pearce , Western Australia , and the latter at Williamtown , where it also employed Pilatus PC - 9 s for forward air control ( FAC ) . On 1 July 1996 , No . 481 Wing was reorganised as No . 402 Wing , incorporating a newly re - formed No . 481 Squadron as well as Weapon Systems Support Flight and Field Training Flight . No . 402 Wing transferred its functions to No . 81 Wing ' s flying squadrons on 31 July 1998 before disbanding in October . The same year , No . 25 Squadron was split , its Macchis now being operated by a re - formed No . 79 Squadron . No . 78 Wing was re - established in 2000 as an operational training formation , taking over Nos . 76 and 79 Squadrons , and No . 2 OCU . By 2007 , No . 2 OCU had returned to the control of No . 81 Wing . From 2000 to 2003 , No . 77 Squadron flew the FAC PC - 9s previously operated by No . 76 Squadron ; this role was subsequently assigned to the newly formed Forward Air Control Development Unit . A detachment of No . 81 Wing , consisting of Hornets from No . 75 Squadron and PC - 9s from No . 77 Squadron , was prepared to support INTERFET operations in East Timor between September 1999 and February 2000 , but was not required . Following the September 11 attacks in 2001 , Hornets from both No . 3 and No . 77 Squadrons were deployed for air defence at the USAF base on Diego Garcia ; no combat ensued and the planes returned in May 2002 . That year , Hornets from No . 75 Squadron undertook combat air patrols in connection with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Queensland . No . 81 Wing became part of RAAF Air Command ' s new Air Combat Group when TFG merged with Strike Reconnaissance Group in February 2002 . The following year , 14 Hornets from No . 75 Squadron deployed to the Middle East to support the invasion of Iraq , escorting high - value Coalition aircraft and later providing close air support to ground troops and air interdiction against Iraqi forces , the first time the RAAF had delivered bombs in anger since the Vietnam War . The Hornets were led by Wing Commander Mel Hupfeld , who became Officer Commanding No . 81 Wing in 2006 – 07 , Commander Air Combat Group in 2009 – 12 , and subsequently Air Commander Australia . The Hornets have also continued to play an air defence role in securing high - profile events in Australia , including the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne , the 2007 APEC meeting in Sydney , and the 2011 visit by US President Barack Obama .