No. 75 Squadron RAAF

No. 75 Squadron RAAF
No. 75 Squadron's crest
Active1942–1948
1949–1954
1955–current
BranchRoyal Australian Air Force
RoleFighter
Part ofNo. 81 Wing, Air Combat Group
Garrison/HQRAAF Base Tindal
Motto(s)Seek and Strike
EngagementsWorld War II (1942–1945)
Iraq War (2003)
Military intervention against ISIL (2015)
DecorationsMeritorious Unit Citation
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Peter Jeffrey (1942)
John Jackson (1942)
Les Jackson (1942–1943)
Wilfred Arthur (1943)
Melvin Hupfeld (2001–2003)
Aircraft flown
FighterP-40 Kittyhawk (1942–1945)
P-51 Mustang (1946–1948)
de Havilland Vampire (1949–1954, 1955–1957)
Gloster Meteor (1955–1957)
CAC Sabre (1957–1965)
Mirage III (1965–1988)
F/A-18 Hornet (1988–2021)
F-35A Lightning II (2021–current)
ReconnaissanceF-4 Lightning (1943)
TransportGAF Nomad (1989–1993)

No. 75 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter unit based at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory. The squadron was formed in 1942 and saw extensive action in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II, operating P-40 Kittyhawks. It was disbanded in 1948, but reformed the following year and operated jet aircraft throughout the Cold War. The squadron was based at Malta from 1952 to 1954, flying de Havilland Vampires, and Malaysia from 1968 to 1983, with Dassault Mirage IIIs, before returning to Australia.

The squadron was re-equipped with F/A-18 Hornet fighters and moved to RAAF Base Tindal in 1988. It was placed on alert to support the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping deployment to East Timor in 1999, and saw combat in 2003 as part of the Australian contribution to the invasion of Iraq and in 2015 during the military intervention against ISIL. The F/A-18s were retired in December 2021, and the squadron received its first F-35A Lightning IIs the same month.