The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime F-35 contractor, with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

Australia has committed to 72 F-35A aircraft for three operational squadrons at RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, and a training squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown.

The first F-35A aircraft was accepted into Australian service in 2018, with the first arriving in country in December that year. The first F-35A squadron, No. 3 Squadron, will be operational in 2021. All 72 aircraft are expected to be fully operational by 2023.

In 2007, the Australian Government signed a contract to acquire 24 F/A-18Fs for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), as an interim replacement for the F-111s of 1 and 6 Squadrons.

In 2008 the Australian Government purchased six EA-18Gs (Growlers ), which would be part of the order for 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets.

EA-18Gs (Growlers ) is a specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet providing an electronic warfare platform, In 2013 the Australian Government purchased and additional 12 New Build Growlers.

Super Hornets are allocated serial number prefixed with A44, The Growler fleet was allocated the A46 rather than the A44 prefix to designate these airframes as new build Growlers as distinct from the Growler pre-wired airframes in the F/A-18F Super Hornet fleet