 The last Sabre conversion course was completed in December 1970 . Early the following year , the Australian government announced that the Sabres were to be phased out and retired by July 1971 . At this time RAAF fighter pilots were trained progressively on the Winjeel , Macchi , Sabre and Mirage , but after considering the feasibility of direct Macchi @-@ to @-@ Mirage conversion , and the impracticability of maintaining the ageing Sabres , the government determined that it was possible to remove the Sabre from the process and retire the type , on the proviso that more Mirage trainers were made available ; it subsequently approved the purchase of six new Mirage IIID dual trainers to augment the ten already in service . No. 5 OTU was disbanded on 31 July 1971 , the date the Sabre was retired from RAAF service . The unit 's Macchis were transferred back to No. 2 OCU . 
