Defence is remaining tight-lipped about the event until its official launch later this month.

But previous ADF Air Shows indicate the region's aircraft enthusiasts will get a feast of aerial acrobatics involving elite pilots and their hi-tech machines.

Last year's show was held over Townsville with tens of thousands of people packing the city's river bank for the event.

The event included a host of the nation's top fighter jets, including F/A-Hornets and the F-111's infamous Dump and Burn sequence was also part of the schedule.

A Defence spokesperson said the details of the show were still being approved by senior RAAF staff.

The gesture of goodwill for Port Stephens residents comes at a time when the Department of Defence is under public pressure and scrutiny over aircraft noise issues, most relating to the introduction of the Joint Strike Fighter in 2017.