Australian Military Aviation History

YA-9: the Warthog’s rival

179K views · 2w ago · 21:03

Before the A-10 Thunderbolt II became the legendary Warthog, Northrop had its own contender for the US Air Force’s close air support requirement: the YA-9. Designed to deliver devastating firepower, withstand ground fire, and support troops on the battlefield, this unconventional attack aircraft came remarkably close to winning the A-X competition. So why did the Air Force choose Fairchild Republic’s YA-10 instead?

Topics: A-X Program · Production Begins · Northrop’s Design · Flyoffs 1972 · Comparison with Su-25

The Defence of Darwin

94K views · 1mo ago · 32:54

On 19 February 1942, Japanese aircraft launched the first major air attack on the Australian mainland, striking the northern city of Darwin. The devastating raids marked the start of an extended air campaign that would see Darwin and northern Australia repeatedly attacked over the next 21 months. In this video, we feature firsthand accounts from RAAF aircrew and ground personnel who experienced the attacks.

Topics: Background · First raid – Robert Crawford · William O’Connor · Wilfred “Wilf” Bowie · Japanese Film · Extended Air Campaign - Douglas Harvey

F-111 in Vietnam | COMBAT LANCER

89K views · 1mo ago · 25:56

Was Combat Lancer a failure, or an early sign of what the F-111 might eventually achieve? Fashion ► Substack ► AMAHA ► Our videos are created for educational and historical documentation purposes. About Us We are three aviation enthusiasts who create documentaries, interviews, and video essays focused on Australian and international military aviation history.

A-37 Dragonfly | Cessna's forgotten fighter

127K views · 1mo ago · 23:44

The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly earned a reputation as one of the most effective close-support and counter-insurgency aircraft of the Vietnam war. From a small jet trainer, the “Super Tweet” was transformed into a heavily armed CAS aircraft capable of carrying thousands of pounds of weapons. When the first A-37s arrived in Vietnam for the experimental Combat Dragon program, their crews were about to discover just how capable the little aircraft really was.

Topics: Background · Tweet history · A-37 Development · Vietnam – Combat Dragon · A-37B

F-15N | the forgotten 'Sea Eagle'

132K views · 2mo ago · 16:36

What if the F-15 Eagle had gone to sea? In the early 1970s, McDonnell Douglas proposed a carrier-based version of the F-15 for the US Navy. Known as the F-15N, it promised extraordinary speed, a lighter airframe, and more advanced avionics. But adapting the Eagle for carrier operations meant solving one major problem: how to give it the fleet-defence capability of the F-14 Tomcat.

Topics: Background · Development · Advantages · Additions to the 15N · Upgrades

The Defence of Port Moresby

42K views · 2mo ago · 23:43

In our continuing series on RAAF operations, we take a look at the defence of Port Moresby. In 1942, Port Moresby stood between the Japanese advance and Australia’s north-eastern approaches. After the fall of Rabaul, the town came under relentless air attacks and became the centre of a desperate Allied defence. From the arrival of No.

Topics: Pulling out of Rabaul · March 1942 – First Response · April 1942 – Attrition and Reinforcement · May 4-8, 1942 – Battle of The Coral Sea · May–June 1942 – Continued Air Pressure · Mid–Late 1942 – From Defence to Campaign

LYNX | Rhodesia's deadly Cessna

166K views · 2mo ago · 14:17

In the unforgiving skies of the Rhodesian Bush War, an unlikely aircraft emerged as one of the most effective weapons of the conflict. The Lynx—an improvised, heavily armed version of the Cessna Skymaster—combined simplicity, adaptability, and raw firepower to deliver devastating close air support.

Topics: Reims-Cessna Skymaster transformed · Rhodesian use of the LYNX · In combat use · Other roles

Why Australia needed the F-111

186K views · 3mo ago · 14:20

Australia's decision to acquire the F-111 wasn't driven by prestige—it was born from necessity. We explore the strategic realities that shaped one of the RAAF's most important procurement decisions. With the rise of Cold War tensions in Southeast Asia and Indonesia's growing military capability, we needed a long-range strike aircraft capable of defending Australia's vast northern approaches.

Why the A-7D was revolutionary

217K views · 3mo ago · 24:15

The A-7D Corsair II was never intended to become one of the U.S. Air Force's greatest strike aircraft. Originally acquired as a stopgap solution during the Vietnam War, it evolved into arguably the most accurate conventional attack aircraft of the conflict.

Topics: A-7 for the Navy · A-7D Development · A-7D Specs & Improvements · Commander Hughes on the A-7D · Combat in Vietnam · Post-Vietnam

Why this missile was a game changer | The AGM-65 Maverick

179K views · 3mo ago · 17:06

The AGM-65 Maverick transformed air-to-ground warfare. Developed during the Vietnam War to replace the flawed AGM-12 Bullpup, it became one of the world's first truly effective fire-and-forget precision-guided missiles. We explore the Maverick's origins, its revolutionary electro-optical guidance system, every major variant from the AGM-65A through to the AGM-65L, and its combat performance from Vietnam and the Yom Kippur War to Desert Storm and beyond.

OPERATION NILE: the forgotten special ops raid in Afghanistan

377K views · 3mo ago · 42:19

Operation Nile (July 9-10, 2006) was a daring preemptive strike on Taliban leadership in the Chora Valley north of Tarin Kowt. The op was executed by Canada's elite Joint Task Force 2, Australian Delta Commando Company 4RAR, Afghan National Security Forces, two Australian CH-47D Chinook helicopters, Dutch Apache gunships, and US air support, including AC-130H gunships, MQ-1 Predator drone and a B-1B Lancer bomber.

F-100 Super Sabre: a fighter-bomber beast

53K views · 4mo ago · 26:43

The North American F-100 Super Sabre was America's first operational supersonic fighter, but its journey from cutting-edge air-superiority aircraft to one of the most important strike fighters of the Vietnam War was anything but straightforward.

Topics: Background · Prototypes & Early Development · Production & Variants · Changing Roles · F-100 Role in the Vietnam War · Project High Wire 1967

The Yak-28 | Fast & Terrifying

123K views · 4mo ago · 17:17

The Yak-28 occupies a strange place in Cold War aviation history—mass produced, widely used, yet almost completely forgotten. On paper it promised speed, range, and versatility; in reality, it became known for difficult handling, questionable design compromises, and a reputation that made flying it anything but comfortable.

Topics: Background · Yak-28 Development · Entering Service · Specs & Performance · Issues & Retirement

The Fall of Rabaul (1942) | A Major Defeat in the Pacific

85K views · 5mo ago · 30:12

In January 1942, the Australian outpost at Rabaul stood directly in the path of Japan’s advance across the Pacific. Poorly defended, under-equipped, and relying on outdated aircraft, the men of the RAAF and Lark Force faced overwhelming odds as Japanese air raids intensified and invasion loomed.

Topics: Background · December 1941 24SQN Deployed · John Lerew · January 1942 First air raid · Mission to Truk · Yeowart's mission to Truk

F-5: The best dogfighter of its time?

217K views · 5mo ago · 16:10

From Cold War necessity to Top Gun legend, the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter became one of the most agile and influential lightweight fighters ever built. Originally designed as a low-cost export fighter to counter the spread of Soviet MiGs, the F-5 proved itself far more capable than many expected — serving in Vietnam, dominating as an aggressor aircraft in US training programs, and later evolving into the formidable F-5E Tiger II.

Topics: Background · SEATO & NATO Review · Early Development · Testing 1959 · Entering Service · Soviet Capture & Lessons Learned