Tag: RAAF

Indo-Pacific Endeavour Joint Task Force returns to Australia

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May 26, 2019 – The Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019 (IPE 19) Joint Task Force has returned to Australia following a three-month regional engagement mission to South and South East Asia. The flagship HMAS Canberra will anchor off Darwin tomorrow, having visited seven nations since March 2019 during the third IPE iteration since its inception in 2017. Chief of Joint Operations, Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld, said this third iteration of IPE was one of the most ambitious regional engagement activities undertaken by the Australian Defence Force (ADF). “With four ships and various…

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Controlling the air from the sea

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May 27, 2019 – Three Royal Australian Air Force personnel are controlling the airspace from a moving airstrip on board HMAS Canberra. Squadron Leader Ross Madsen and Flight Lieutenants Hamish Upton and Paul Atteridge are deployed on Canberra – one of Australia’s two landing helicopter docks (LHDs) – for three months during INDO-PACIFIC ENDEAVOUR 2019 (IPE19). A senior air traffic controller (ATC), Squadron Leader Madsen said providing an air traffic control service at sea was largely similar to on land. “The biggest difference is the airfield moves and the runway…

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HMAS Brisbane Integrates with RAAF 5th Generation Fighters

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April 1, 2019 – Her Majesty’s Australian Ships Brisbane and Melbourne have successfully integrated into Exercise DIAMOND SHIELD, the Royal Australian Air Force’s Tier 1 air defence activity. Operating off the coast of Newcastle, Brisbane embarked three Fighter Controllers from the Fleet Fighter Control Element, based at RAAF Williamtown. Throughout the exercise, Brisbane and Melbourne contributed to high-end air warfare activities which tested the crew and greatly expanded collective understanding of complex warfighting scenarios. Fighter Controllers had the opportunity to control a range of assets including F/A-18F Super Hornets and…

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U.S., Australia Set to Kick Off 2019 Exercise Sea Dragon

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January 11, 2019 – Located at the southernmost point of the Northern Marianas Islands and the United States’ westernmost point, Guam will serve as the location of 2019 Exercise Sea Dragon, which is slated to kick off Jan. 14. “Exercise Sea Dragon is an exciting opportunity to enhance maritime patrol relationships in the Western Pacific and focus on building anti-submarine warfare (ASW) proficiency and increase warfighting lethality,” said Capt. Brian Erickson, Commander, Task Force (CTF) 72. “In future Sea Dragon exercises, I am excited to expand ally and partner nation…

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Australia’s Monitoring and Surveillance Activities Against Illegal Ship-to-Ship Transfers

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November 30, 2018 (Google Translation) – Australia has decided again to engage in its monitoring and surveillance activities by aircraft for the third time this year against illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels prohibited by United Nations Security Council Resolutions(UNSCRs), based in Kadena Air Base from the beginning of December, subject to the United Nations Status of Forces Agreement (UN SOFA). Australia and Canada had conducted monitoring and surveillance activities by aircraft based in Kadena Air Base for about one month from the end of April…

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RAAF P-8A Poseidon to Enforce North Korea Sanctions

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November 30, 2018 – Next week Australia will deploy a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to Japan to conduct maritime surveillance in support of the international effort to enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea. Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, said the deployment supports Australia’s ongoing economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea. “This is part of Australia’s commitment to deter and disrupt illicit trade and sanctions evasion activities by North Korea and its associated networks,” Minister Pyne said. “This deployment follows on from Defense’s…

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Boeing to update USN & RAAF P-8A Poseidon training system

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September 13, 2018 – Boeing has won a contract award from the U.S. Navy to update the courseware and software for the Navy’s P-8A Poseidon training system. Under the four-year, $194 million agreement, Boeing will upgrade devices at three locations for the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force to reflect the latest configuration of the Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. “With increasing demand for realistic training that is concurrent and affordable, the P-8A training system gives pilots, air crews and maintainers the most immersive environment at a fraction of…

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Australia continues to enforce sanctions on North Korea

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September 7, 2018 – Australia will deploy two AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft to Japan to conduct maritime surveillance in support of the international effort to enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea. This deployment supports Australia’s ongoing economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea. It is a continuation of our strong stand to deter and disrupt illicit trade and sanctions evasion activities by North Korea and its associated networks. This deployment follows on from our previous contribution of a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft earlier in the…

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P-8A Poseidon training commences in South Australia

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August 17, 2018 – Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, and the Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today announced the handover of the P-8A Poseidon simulator and training systems at RAAF Base Edinburgh. Minister Payne said the advanced P-8A Training System would better prepare Australian Defence Force pilots and maintenance crews for their demanding roles. “This $470 million facility marks the beginning of a transformation of our training that will support Air Force’s ability to meet emerging threats and future challenges,” Minister Payne said.…

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Stronger Enforcement of UNSC Resolution on North Korea

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Australia will deploy a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to Japan to contribute to the enforcement of United Nations Security Council resolutions in our region. This is part of Australia’s active role in efforts to maintain economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea. The deployment supports the international campaign to address North Korea’s illicit trade and associated networks. We welcome North Korea’s announcement of a halt to ballistic missile and nuclear weapons testing and, from yesterday’s historic inter-Korean dialogue, to work for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. However,…

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RAAF Declares Initial Operating Capability for the P-8A Poseidon

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Australia’s new maritime surveillance aircraft the P-8A Poseidon has achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC), five months ahead of the original schedule. Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, congratulated Air Force and CASG on the significant milestone that has been achieved. “Together the P-8A Poseidon and the future MQ-4C Triton aircraft will provide Australia with one of the world’s most advanced maritime patrol and surveillance capabilities,” Minister Payne said. “The P-8A is a very capable and effective successor to the AP-3C Orion, which will soon retire from the role…

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Defence Chief announces new Command

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The Australian Defence Force (ADF) continues to build its cyber capability, establishing the new Defence Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Cyber Command. From 29 January, the new Joint SIGINT Unit and the recently established Joint Cyber Unit will operate under the Defence SIGINT and Cyber Command alongside civilian teams from the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). “The Defence SIGINT and Cyber Command continues the long standing tradition of ADF personnel working within ASD to ensure support to military operations remains the agency’s highest priority,” Chief of Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Binskin…

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US Navy Contract Announcements January 17, 2018

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Sikorsky, a Lockheed Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is being awarded an $18,891,070 modification to a previously issued delivery order 4039 placed against basic ordering agreement N00019-14-G-0019. This modification provides for non-recurring engineering and project support management for the production of the MH-60R in support of government of Saudi Arabia under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (90 percent); Troy, Alabama (5 percent); and Owego, New York (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2019. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of…

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Growler MOU Between RAAF & NAVAIR

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The U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly develop the latest jammer technology. The Airborne Electronic Attack Systems and EA-6B Program Office (PMA-234) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will cooperatively mature the AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer Mid-band (NGJ-MB) capability from here forward. Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mike Moran, PMA-234 Program Manager U.S. Navy Capt. Michael Orr, and RAAF Air Vice Marshal Cath Roberts attended the event held at U.S. Pacific Fleet…

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Making more of the maritime

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The Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force have been working ever closer together with a combined anti-submarine exercise undertaken as the Indo-Pacific Endeavour Task Group sails through regional waters. HMA Ships Darwin and Adelaide were recently joined in by the Air Force’s newest capability, the P8-A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The Poseidon provides up-to-date anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol features, and the leading-edge aircraft flew ahead of the force and dropped a remotely operated vehicle known as an Expendable Mobile Anti-Submarine Warfare Training Target (or EMATT) into the…

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