Defence has deployed a Royal Australian Air Drive (RAAF) P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane to the Mediterranean as a part of Operation SEA GUARDIAN 22. Operation SEA GUARDIAN is an ongoing non-Article 5 NATO maritime safety operation aimed toward sustaining maritime situational consciousness, deterring terrorism, and enhancing capability constructing within the Mediterranean area. The RAAF participation in Operation SEA GUARDIAN is a chance to increase Australia’s interoperability with the alliance to the maritime air surveillance area.
Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant Basic Greg Bilton stated,“Australia’s participation within the operation mirrored Australia’s ongoing partnership in exercising our Memorandum of Understanding with NATO. Australia is a NATO Enhanced Alternatives Associate and an essential Asia-Pacific member for the Alliance. Our companion standing recognises Australia’s important contributions to NATO operations and the worth that the Australian Defence Drive (ADF) has demonstrated over a number of many years.”
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This represents a pure step-up in Royal Australian Air Drive ongoing partnership, centered on responding to as we speak’s international safety challenges. Wherever doable, the Australian Defence Drive (ADF) helps European safety initiatives to uphold the principles primarily based worldwide order. The Royal Australian Air Drive look ahead to seeing the outcomes of the deployment, which can information Australia future maritime surveillance cooperation with NATO.
The P-8A will probably be primarily based in Italy and can function within the Western and Central Mediterranean till mid-October 2022. The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane developed and produced by Boeing Protection, Area & Safety, and derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800. It was developed for the US Navy (USN). The P-8 operates within the anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles.
