Governor General David Hurley.
CANBERRA’S skies and landmarks have today (March 31) served as the centrepiece for the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) historic centenary celebrations.
The second oldest independent Air Force in the world, the RAAF goes back almost as far as aviation itself, with the March 31, 1921 edition of the Government Gazette announcing its formation.
Since then, it’s been involved in defence and peacekeeping initiatives throughout a century of service, and today, a series of ceremonies throughout the nation’s capital honoured its 100-year journey.
In a letter addressed to all members of the RAAF for the occasion, the Queen wrote: “Throughout my reign, the Royal Australian Air Force has shown immense dedication to duty and defended our freedom in many conflicts around the world.”
Australia Plans New Space Command as Air Force Celebrates 100 Years
The Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld has verified that Australia will establish an integrated space organisation in the next year.
Hupfeld, who confirmed the news to the ABC on March 31, is currently heading up an analysis into the requirements for Australia to establish its own sovereign space organisation for the Australian Defence Forces.
The organisation will be staffed by Air Force, Army, and Navy personnel, and will thus most likely not form its own independent branch.
“It’s to allow us to establish an organisation to sustain, force-generate, operate space capabilities and assign them to a joint operation command if needed,” Hupfeld said.
Centenary of Air Force miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Hypersonic and directed-energy weapons: Who has them, and who’s winning the race in the Asia-Pacific? Mike Yeo, Nigel Pittaway, Usman Ansari, Vivek Raghuvanshi and Chris Martin
March 15
Photo credit: Imaginima/Getty Images MELBOURNE, Australia, ISLAMABAD, NEW DELHI, and WASHINGTON A number of countries in the Asia-Pacific region are caught up in the global hypersonic and directed-energy weapons race, with these regional powers having either developed or publicly stated intentions to develop such technology. Defense News has contacted regional government and military officials, businesses, and analysts to find out who is keeping pace in the worldwide contest.
China
Chinese military vehicles carry DF-17 ballistic missiles during a parade in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)