RAAF Base Williamtown is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located north of Newcastle in New South Wales, Australia. The base serves as the headquarters to both the Air Combat Group and the Surveillance and Response Group of the RAAF.
The base operates a single runway which is shared with Newcastle Airport with the Department of Defence leasing rights to use the runway.
History
RAAF Station Williamtown was established on 15 February 1941 to provide protection for the strategic port and steel manufacturing facilities in Newcastle. The base originally had four runways, each in length to meet the needs of the Williamtown Flying School. The school consisted of 62 buildings which accommodated 366 officers and men.
A number of Australian Empire Air Training Scheme squadrons were formed at Williamtown before proceeding overseas and No. 4 Operational Training Unit was located at Williamtown from October 1942 until the unit was disbanded in April 1944. Following World War II, Williamtown was retained as the RAAF's main fighter base and was equipped with squadrons of Gloster Meteor and CAC Sabre fighters.
In 1961, the squadron of Meteors were replaced with the Dassault Mirage IIIs. The following year, Williamtown became headquarters for the Tactical Fighter group and acquired new headquarter buildings, hangars, workshops, stores, medical facilities and a base chapel. Williamtown formerly operated F/A-18 Hornets and Pilatus PC-9 Trainers.
RAAF Base Williamtown has sporting fields, recreation facilities, cinema and a fortnightly newspaper. RAAF Williamtown is the home to Fighter World, a museum dedicated to Australian fighter aircraft.
In 2014, the Australian Government announced that Williamtown would be the home base for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters; the first of which arrived in December 2018, and entered service with the RAAF in 2020. Redevelopment works to prepare the base for the F-35, including a 2000 ft runway extension, began in January 2015. This runway extension allows fighters to take off without the use of their afterburners, minimising noise for local communities. Fifty-six of the seventy-two F35s will be based at Williamtown. Nationally, there are 90 sites impacted by PFAS contamination, with more internationally.
Units
The following units are located at RAAF Base Williamtown:
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Unit
! scope="col" | Full name
! scope="col" | Force Element Group
!Wing
! scope="col" | Aircraft
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
| scope="row" | 1ATS DET WLM
| No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron Detachment Williamtown
| Combat Support Group
|95|
|N/A
| style="text-align:center" |
|-
| scope="row" | 1CCS DET WLM
| No. 1 Combat Communications Squadron Detachment Williamtown
| Combat Support Group
|95|
|N/A
| rowspan="8" style="text-align:center" |
|-
| scope="row" | 26SQN
| No. 26 (City of Newcastle) Squadron
| Combat Support Group
|96|
|N/A
| rowspan="5" |Airbase operations
|-
| scope="row" | AEWCSPO
| Airborne Early Warning Control System Program Office
| Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group
||
|N/A
| style="text-align:center" |