scanSydney

Two U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Gulfstream G550 aircraft, N551HA (HALO51) and N553HA (HALO53), arrived at RAAF Base Edinburgh (YPED), South Australia, this afternoon following their flight from Honolulu. Both aircraft are expected to remain in South Australia for approximately two weeks, supporting specialised flight test and missile defence activities. Notably, this deployment marks the first visit to Australia for N553HA (HALO53). The arrivals are believed to be part of a broader deployment, with a NASA WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft expected to arrive at RAAF Base Edinburgh tomorrow, 31 October. The WB-57's arrival is also expected to mark its first visit to Australia in a specialised flight-testing capacity, bringing its unique high-altitude research and testing capabilities to the region. An interesting few weeks ahead for military and specialised aviation activity in South Australia. #NASA #WB57 #WB57F #MissileDefenseAgency #MDA #HALO51 #HALO53 #GulfstreamG550 #RAAFBaseEdinburgh #YPED #MilitaryAviation #FlightTesting #aviationnews

Maiden Flight — RAAF MC-55A Peregrine A51-003 (callsign SHADE10) Australia’s next-gen ISR capability just took another step forward. MC-55A A51-003 has completed its first flight, marking a key milestone in the RAAF’s AIR 555 Phase 1 program. This morning, the aircraft conducted a ~45-minute local sortie around RAAF Base Edinburgh, including multiple overshoots/touch-and-go approaches, likely supporting early flight testing and handling checks. #RAAF #MC55A #Peregrine #ISR #SIGINT #MilitaryAviation #ADF #AvGeek #MaidenFlight