RAAF Base Woomera

RAAF Base Woomera is an operational Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located within the 122,188-square-kilometre (47,177 sq mi) RAAF Woomera Range Complex, situated approximately 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) north[1] of the base's "village" area, in South Australia, Australia. Officially established as an airbase with effect from January 2015, the RAAF Base Woomera comprises the Woomera airfield, hangars and technical areas as well as the Woomera Village.[2][3]

Operations and capability management of the entire Woomera Range Complex, is vested to Commander, Air Warfare Centre (CDR AWC), located at RAAF Base Edinburgh (Edinburgh, South Australia). Operational management of the RAAF Base Woomera formation is the joint responsibility of No. 20 Squadron (20SQN) and the Defence Estate and Infracture Group (E&IG), supported by a Defence Contractor (as of March 2020 Broadspectrum[4]). The role of the base is to provide operational and garrison support to Defence activities within the WRC. The RAAF Woomera Test Range formation of the Woomera Range Complex is managed by the AWC's Air Force Ranges Directorate (AFRD). The Air Force Test Ranges Squadron (AFTR SQN), is based out of RAAF Edinburgh, but they also maintain a permanent detachment based out of RAAF Base Woomera. The role of AFTR SQN is the day-to-day operation and management of the ranges within the WRC.

RAAF Base Woomera is located approximately 450 km (280 mi) north of RAAF Base Edinburgh near Adelaide). The Woomera Range Complex (WRC) is used as a specialised Defence systems test range supporting the defence of Australia. The Air Force, Department of Defence, and some State and Federal Government agencies (education, police etc.) maintain a number of full-time personnel at the base to support Defence activities at the WRC. The 2015 range proclamation states that the range may only be used for Defence related activities and that Defence access to, and use of the WRC will be managed through Headquarters, Air Warfare Centre at RAAF Base Edinburgh. Requests for Non-defence access to, and use (e.g. mining) of, the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA), which is essentially the ground area that delineates the Woomera Range Complex, is managed through the 'Woomera Prohibited Area Coordination Office' (WPACO) in Canberra. Note: Aeronautical access requirements for RAAF Woomera aerodrome can be found in the 'On-route supplement Australia' (ERSA). The entry for Woomera states that landing approval is coordinated through the 20SQN Air Base Command Post (20SQN ABCP), but that civilian aircraft are not normally given permission to use the airfield unless such use is related to Defence activities at Woomera.

RAAF Woomera is able to operate all current types of aircraft used by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), including C-17A Globemasters and all fast jet types. The airfield can be fitted with an arrestor cable system when required to bring it to normal RAAF operating standards for F/A-18 Hornet operations. The airfield is also well able to handle larger aircraft types such as the C-5 Galaxy and Boeing 747. Large aircraft movements occur often at Woomera in support of ADF test and evaluation activities on the complex.

The centre line of the airfield was surveyed by Len Beadell in early 1947.[5] A RAF Dakota was the first aircraft to use the field, as it landed at Woomera on 19 June 1947. It brought General Evetts and a party of British scientists to inspect the airfield which was recently completed.[5]^: 101 During 2015, all of the Woomera aerodrome aircraft parking aprons (4), taxiways and the main runway, were all refurbished in $40M upgrade. In 2016, through public tender, a significant repair was made to Hangar 1, and in 2018 the airmovements terminal was refurbished and a new secure-storage facility built. A new connecting road between the magazine area (west of the airfield) and the northern end of the main runway was constructed. The construction of a new security control gate facility was completed in the later months of 2018, approximately 1 km north of Woomera Village, at the entrance to Base Sector North of RAAF Base Woomera.

The first control tower at the Woomera Test Range originally came from RAAF Base Uranquinty, New South Wales. The tower was disassembled by No. 2 Airfield Construction Squadron in the late 1940s and shipped to Woomera, where it was re-erected and reopened in the early 1950s at Evetts Field. The main control tower at Woomera aerodrome was constructed in 1953 and is still active. In 2016 the Department of Defence announced plans to replace the control cabin and an upgrade to all communications, electrical, mechanical and hydraulic services to the building in order to comply with building code requirements.[6]

• List of Royal Australian Air Force installations
• List of airports in South Australia

• RAAF Base Woomera at www.airforce.gov.au
• RAAF Base Woomera museum
• "Blast from the Past". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 25 July 2009. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009.
• "Woomera Range Remediation Facilities Project: Statement of Evidence to the Parliamentary Committee on Public Works". Department of Defence. Canberra: Parliament of Australia. 2016.