DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6265 3343, Fax: 02 62656946
MSPA 026/09
Friday, 29 January 2010
AIR FORCE AP-3C ORIONS – 7 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS
MIDDLE EAST OPERATIONS
Air Force AP-3C Orions have achieved an extraordinary seven years of continuous Middle
East operations, providing crucial support to Australian and coalition forces.
Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal (AIRMSHL) Mark Binskin said the Orions had flown more
than 1750 missions involving 16500 flying hours supporting Operations Bastille, Falconer,
Catalyst and Slipper.
During the past 7 years the Orion crews have conducted overland intelligence surveillance
and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks in Afghanistan and Iraq, maritime patrols of the Persian Gulf
and North Arabian Sea and more recently, counter-piracy missions in the vicinity of Somalia,
working closely with the US-led Combined Maritime Force (CMF) and other international
task forces.
“This milestone is a great tribute to the men and women of Air Force’s Surveillance and
Response Group who have worked long hours flying and maintaining the Orions.
Maintenance staff have often worked in 50C plus temperatures to achieve a very high aircraft
availability rate,” AIRMSHL Binskin said.
The RAAF Orion detachment in the Middle East includes approximately 88 people and two
aircraft.
“The support provided by members of Air Force’s Combat Support Group, Maritime Patrol
Systems Program Office and Aerospace Operational Support Group have been vital to the
Orions’ achievements in the Middle East.”
RAAF’s AP-3C Orions are among the best intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
aircraft in the world. Orions can transmit real-time surveillance pictures, providing essential
situational awareness to commanders on the ground.
Many of the Orions’ other capabilities are classified. The sensitive nature of much of the
Orions’ ISR work means their contribution to the Australian Defence Force’s mission success
in the Middle East is not always publicly recognised.
“Many of our AP-3C Orion people have done four and in some cases five deployments to the
Middle East. I understand the impact this has on personal lives and I thank their families and
friends in Australia for the vital support they provide,” AIRMSHL Binskin said.
In addition to ongoing work in the Middle East, Air Force Orions also provide significant
support to Operation Resolute, patrolling Australia’s northern maritime approaches.
Images of Air Force AP-3C Orions in the Middle East are available at:
Media contact: Defence Public Affairs 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664
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