2021 Mar: Centenary—100 Years of the RAAF: Heritage and Modern Air Power (AI Study Guide)
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2021 Mar: Centenary—100 Years of the RAAF: Heritage and Modern Air Power
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
In March 2021 Australia marked the Royal Australian Air Force’s centenary, commemorating service since its 31 March 1921 formation and highlighting a modern, integrated combat force. Ceremonies, a national flypast over Canberra, heritage curation, and education programs connected Air Force history with contemporary capability. The Australian War Memorial curated stories, images, and films, while Air Force showcased fifth-generation platforms, reformed its heritage squadron, and framed the anniversary as both remembrance and renewal within Australia’s joint, alliance, and regional security commitments.
𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬
𝟏. RAAF100: Centenary program of commemorations, education, and heritage initiatives during 2021.
𝟐. Heritage Flight: Air Force’s restored aircraft operating for outreach and commemoration duties.
𝟑. Flypast: Large formation display of historic and current aircraft over Canberra.
𝟒. JOC/CAOC: Joint and coalition command nodes Air Force integrates with operationally.
𝟓. Mission Data: Software libraries enabling sensors, identification, electronic effects.
𝟔. Fifth-generation: Networked, sensor-fused combat systems with information advantage focus.
𝟕. AWM Centenary Hub: Memorial portal aggregating RAAF centenary stories, films, collections.
𝟖. No. 100 Squadron: Reformed 2021 to manage the Air Force Heritage Aircraft Fleet.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬
𝟏. Centenary date and framing: Air Force marked its hundredth anniversary on 31 March 2021, connecting origins in the Australian Air Corps and Royal assent with today’s integrated force; commemorations linked remembrance, public education, and modernisation narratives, anchoring national memory while showing contemporary capability, people, and purpose to a broad Australian audience. https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/airforce100
𝟐. Canberra flypast milestone: More than sixty historic and current aircraft flew over Canberra on 31 March, culminating the anniversary day’s commemorations; the mass flypast demonstrated fleet diversity, community connection, and professional display discipline, while media and official accounts documented aircraft types, routing, and safety arrangements supporting a nationally significant public event. https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2021-03-31/spectacular-end-100-years
𝟑. Memorial centenary hub: The Australian War Memorial published a dedicated centenary hub aggregating articles, films, and interactive materials; this repository highlighted Air Force contributions across conflicts and peacetime service, directing the public to curated stories, personal accounts, and collection highlights that map institutional change, innovation, and sacrifice across one hundred years. https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/airforce100
𝟒. Collection highlights released: The Memorial’s centenary “Explore the Collection” stream surfaced photographs, artefacts, and narratives spanning the RAAF’s formation, campaigns, and contemporary operations, providing educators and families accessible entry points into Air Force history while reinforcing provenance, context, and continuity across uniforms, unit badges, aircraft, and personnel stories. https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/airforce100/collection
𝟓. Badges and identity: AWM items illustrating unit badges and emblems supported stories of culture, identity, and heritage across squadrons; such visual anchors connect lineage with present units, linking mottos, symbols, and theatre histories to contemporary esprit de corps, operational standards, and remembrance rituals within the Air Force community. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1215596
𝟔. Air Force narrative: Official RAAF pages explained the centenary’s purpose, outlining events and initiatives that honoured sacrifice, celebrated today’s force, and foreshadowed future evolution; institutional messaging emphasised continuity between heritage and fifth-generation capabilities, aligning commemoration with ongoing transformation programs and alliance interoperability requirements. https://www.airforce.gov.au/about-us/history/our-journey/air-force-100-centenary-air-force
𝟕. Formation context recalled: Public materials traced the lineage from the Australian Flying Corps and Australian Air Corps to the RAAF’s formal establishment on 31 March 1921; this continuity narrative situated the centenary within national history, highlighting organisational growth, professionalisation, and expanding roles in national defence, regional engagement, and humanitarian operations. https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/understanding-military-structure/raaf
𝟖. Heritage squadron reformed: No. 100 Squadron was reformed in January 2021 to operate the Air Force Heritage Aircraft Fleet from Point Cook and Temora, providing flying heritage displays, preserving historic airframes, and deepening public connection to Air Force stories during centenary commemorations and beyond. https://www.airforce.gov.au/community/event-participation/air-force-heritage-aircraft-fleet
𝟗. Air Force 100 media: RAAF produced centenary videos highlighting people, aircraft, and operations across eras, complementing AWM curation; these pieces communicated service ethos, technological change, and today’s integrated operations to broad audiences, supporting recruitment, education, and commemoration objectives throughout the RAAF100 year. https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/airforce100/centenary
𝟏𝟎. Legacy and learning: Institutional reporting and exhibitions contextualised the anniversary within ongoing service, capturing artefacts and testimony for national memory; the centenary reinforced professional identity, community trust, and the linkage between heritage and modern capability development across Australia’s joint and coalition frameworks. https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/airforce100
𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬
𝟏. Australian War Memorial. RAAF Centenary hub—overview and stories. AWM article. [https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/airforce100] Australian War Memorial
𝟐. Australian War Memorial. Explore the Collection—RAAF100 highlights. AWM feature. [https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/airforce100/collection] Australian War Memorial
𝟑. Australian War Memorial. Air Force 100—videos and media. AWM page. [https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/airforce100/centenary] Australian War Memorial
𝟒. Australian War Memorial. The Royal Australian Air Force—formation and structure. AWM reference. [https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/understanding-military-structure/raaf] Australian War Memorial
𝟓. Australian War Memorial. Badges of the RAAF—poster. AWM catalogue C1215596. [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1215596] Australian War Memorial
𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝟏. Department of Defence, 2021, Centenary of Air Force, Canberra: Defence. https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/releases/2021-03-31/centenary-air-force
𝟐. Royal Australian Air Force, 2021, Air Force 100—Centenary of Air Force, Canberra: RAAF. https://www.airforce.gov.au/about-us/history/our-journey/air-force-100-centenary-air-force
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬
• AWM provided the principal centenary hub, curation, and collection highlights supporting public history of RAAF100.
• Official Defence and RAAF pages supplied event details, dates, and program framing where the Memorial summarised rather than specified.
• Using AWM-first sourcing ensured authoritative heritage linkage while approved government sites covered ceremonial and organisational specifics.