Australian Air Force maritime patrol aircraft concludes NATO deployment mission

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News October 21, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft completed its first-ever participation in NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean.

RAAF P-8A Poseidon aircraft was deployed from its base in Edinburgh, South Australia, to Sigonella, Italy. It was accompanied by a team of 45 crew members, including maintenance workers and security personnel from the RAAF’s 11 Squadron.

According to the NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) statement, the Australian maritime patrol aircraft completed “several flying missions between Oct 3 to 14, over the Mediterranean Sea, conducting overwater surveillance in support of NATO’s ongoing maritime operation in the region, known as Operation Sea Guardian.”

“The P-8A added significantly to the maritime picture and overall maritime situational awareness. Operation Sea Guardian also aims to deter terrorism and enhance capacity building in the region,” the statement added.

The P-8A maritime patrol aircraft can perform various roles, including anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, and search and rescue missions. The first-ever deployment of the Australian P-8A aircraft to Europe signifies a strong partnership between Australia and NATO in response to global security challenges.

The Commander of Maritime Air at NATO’s Allied Maritime Command Headquarters in Northwood, Commodore Illias Raptis called the Australian aircraft deployment a tremendous success.

“The Australian Air Force brought with them a very effective and powerful sensor in the P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, which made a significant contribution to the intelligence picture. That, combined with the professionalism, demeanor, and flexibility of the deployed personnel provided outstanding results, highlighting Australia’s importance as a partner to Operation Sea Guardian,” Raptis said.

*^{Royal Australian Air Force P-8A maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft. (Image Credit: Australian Defence Ministry)}*

The Commanding Officer of 11 Squadron of the RAAF, Wing Commander Adam Saber said the deployment certified the Australian Defence Force’s capability to connect to, and operate within, the NATO architecture, adding: “In this case, it was the P-8A, a highly capable and versatile multi-role aircraft. But this deployment was also more than just the aircraft – it meant our maintenance team working with the host squadrons, our communications specialists and intelligence team connecting with the NATO networks and our logistics personnel moving mission equipment in and out of Europe.”

“The end result – we confirmed Australian capacity to seamlessly integrate into the coalition environment and retain our enhanced operational partner status,” he added.

The 11 Squadron commanding officer also thanked NATO personnel and said that “This has been an extremely successful detachment, and we – as the Australian Defence Force – learned a great deal. It was made far easier by the wonderful support provided from NATO Maritime Command, the Italian Air Force at Naval Air Station Sigonella, U.S. Navy Combined Task Force 67, and Patrol Squadrons 9 and 4.”