Australia has announced that it is deploying a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft to support the global effort to enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea.
The aircraft will be deployed on Operation ARGOS next week. This represents the first Australian Defence Force (ADF) contribution to the operation for this year.
The Poseidon aircraft will operate out of Kadena Airbase in Japan to carry out the airborne surveillance and monitor and deter illegal ship-to-ship transfers.
Australian Minister for Defence and Senator Linda Reynolds CSC said the country’s
commitment to the enforcement of United Nations Security Council sanctions on North
Korea is important to stability in the region.
Reynolds added: “This deployment demonstrates our commitment to regional security and the rules-based order.
“We rely on a stable North East Asia as part of a free, open and economically prosperous wider Indo-Pacific region.
“Along with our international partners, Australia continues to maintain pressure on North Korea to adhere to United Nations Security Council sanctions through our dedicated air and maritime patrols.”
The Poseidon aircraft and its crew will be deployed from No 11 Squadron at RAAF Base
Edinburgh. This deployment comes after HMAS Parramatta was deployed to the region in late 2019.
Following the commencement of Operation ARGOS two years ago, the ADF has deployed
maritime patrol aircraft on five cases and naval frigates on three.
In December 2019, the RAAF received its 12th and final P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft.
The maritime aircraft has been manufactured by Boeing, designed to excel at anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.
P-8 Poseidon has two variants, namely the P-8I, flown by the Indian Navy, and the P-8A Poseidon, flown by the US Navy and the RAAF.
