Editing Royal Australian Air Force (section)

===Cold War===

==== Postwar ====
[[File:Two Mirage III of the Royal Australian Air Force 1.JPEG|thumb|Two RAAF [[Dassault Mirage III|Mirage III]] fighters in 1980]]
During the [[Berlin Airlift]], in 1948–49, the [[RAAF Squadron Berlin Air Lift]] aided the international effort to fly in supplies to the stricken city; two RAF [[Avro York]] aircraft were also crewed by RAAF personnel. Although a small part of the operation, the RAAF contribution was significant, flying 2,062 sorties and carrying 7,030 tons of freight and 6,964 passengers.<ref>Eather 1996, p. 38.</ref>

In the [[Korean War]], from 1950 to 1953, North American Mustangs from [[No. 77 Squadron RAAF]], stationed in Japan with the [[British Commonwealth Occupation Force]], were among the first United Nations aircraft to be deployed, in ground support, combat air patrol, and escort missions. When the UN planes were confronted by North Korean [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15]] jet fighters, 77 Sqn acquired [[Gloster Meteor]] jets, however the MiGs remained superior and the Meteors were relegated to ground support missions as the North Koreans gained experience. The air force also operated transport aircraft during the conflict. No. 77 Squadron flew 18,872 sorties, claiming the destruction of 3,700 buildings, 1,408 vehicles, 16 bridges, 98 railway carriages and an unknown number of enemy personnel. Three MiG-15s were confirmed destroyed, and two others probably destroyed. RAAF casualties included 41 killed and seven captured; 66 aircraft&nbsp;– 22 Mustangs and 44 Meteors&nbsp;– were lost.<ref>Eather 1996, p. 162.</ref>

In July 1952, [[No. 78 Wing RAAF]] was deployed to [[Malta]] in the Mediterranean where it formed part of a British force which sought to counter the Soviet Union's influence in the Middle East as part of Australia's Cold War commitments. Consisting of No. 75 and 76 Squadrons equipped with [[de Havilland Vampire]] jet fighters, the wing provided an air garrison for the island for the next two and half years, returning to Australia in late 1954.<ref>Eather 1996, pp. 172–183</ref>

In 1953, a [[Royal Air Force]] officer, Air Marshal Sir [[Donald Hardman]], was brought out to Australia to become Chief of the Air Staff.<ref>Millar 1969, pp. 114–115.</ref> He reorganised the RAAF into three commands: [[RAAF Home Command|Home Command]], [[RAAF Maintenance Command|Maintenance Command]], and [[RAAF Training Command|Training Command]]. Five years later, Home Command was renamed [[RAAF Operational Command|Operational Command]], and Training Command and Maintenance Command were amalgamated to form [[RAAF Support Command|Support Command]].<ref>Dennis et al. 2008, pp. 150–151.</ref>

==== South East Asia operations ====
[[File:AirForce over Iraq.jpg|thumb|An RAAF [[F/A-18]] with a [[USAF]] [[KC-135 Stratotanker|KC-135]], two [[F-15E Strike Eagle|F-15E]]s, an [[F-117 Nighthawk|F-117]], two [[lockheed Martin F-16|F-16]]s and a [[RAF]] [[Panavia Tornado|Tornado]] over Iraq]]
In the [[Malayan Emergency]], from 1950 to 1960, six [[Avro Lincoln]]s heavy bombers from [[No. 1 Squadron RAAF]] and a flight of [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain|Douglas Dakotas]] from [[No. 38 Squadron RAAF]] took part in operations against the communist guerrillas (labelled as "Communist Terrorists" by the British authorities) as part of the [[RAF Far East Air Force]]. The Dakotas were used on cargo runs, in troop movement and in paratrooper and leaflet drops within Malaya. The Lincolns, operating from bases in Singapore and from Kuala Lumpur, formed the backbone of the air war against the CTs, conducting bombing missions against their jungle bases. Although results were often difficult to assess, they allowed the government to harass CT forces, attack their base camps when identified and keep them on the move. Later, in 1958, Canberra bombers from [[No. 2 Squadron RAAF]] were deployed to Malaya and took part in bombing missions against the CTs.<ref>Eather 1996, pp. 40–77.</ref>

During the [[Vietnam War]], from 1964 to 1972, the RAAF contributed Caribou [[STOL]] transport aircraft as part of the RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam, later redesignated [[No. 35 Squadron RAAF]], [[UH-1 Iroquois]] helicopters from [[No. 9 Squadron RAAF]], and [[English Electric Canberra]] bombers from [[No. 2 Squadron RAAF]]. The Canberras flew 11,963 bombing [[sortie]]s, and two aircraft were lost. One went missing during a bombing raid. The wreckage of the aircraft was recovered in April 2009, and the remains of the crew were found in late July 2009. The other was shot down by a [[surface-to-air missile]], although both crew were rescued. They dropped 76,389 bombs and were credited with 786 enemy personnel confirmed killed and a further 3,390 estimated killed, 8,637 structures, 15,568 bunkers, 1,267 sampans and 74 bridges destroyed.<ref>Coulthard-Clark 1995, p. 215.</ref> RAAF transport aircraft also supported [[anti-communist]] ground forces. The UH-1 helicopters were used in many roles including [[medical evacuation]] and close air support. RAAF casualties in Vietnam included six killed in action, eight non-battle fatalities, 30 wounded in action and 30 injured.<ref>Coulthard-Clark 1995, p. 351.</ref> A small number of RAAF pilots also served in United States Air Force units, flying [[F-4 Phantom]] fighter-bombers or serving as forward air controllers.<ref name=Barnes5>Barnes 2000, p. 5.</ref>

In September 1975, a group of 44 civilians, including armed supporters of the [[Timorese Democratic Union]] (UDT), commandeered an RAAF Caribou, ''A4-140'', on the ground at [[Baucau Airport]] in the then [[Portuguese Timor]], which was in the middle of a civil war. The Caribou had landed at Baucau on a humanitarian mission for the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]]. The civilians demanded that the RAAF crew members fly them to [[Darwin International Airport|Darwin Airport]] (also [[RAAF Base Darwin]]) in Australia, which they did. After the Caribou arrived there, the Australian government detained the civilians for a short period, and then granted refugee visas to all of them. ''[[The Guardian]]'' later described ''A4-140'' as "the only RAAF plane ever hijacked", and the incident as "one of the more remarkable stories in Australia's military and immigration history".<ref name="tg 2021-01-16">{{cite news |last1=Henriques-Gomes |first1=Luke |title='It was life or death': the plane-hijacking refugees Australia embraced |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/16/it-was-life-or-death-the-plane-hijacking-refugees-australia-embraced |access-date=17 January 2021 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=16 January 2021}}</ref>