Air Force AP-3C Orions – 7 Years of continuous Middle East ops
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 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 seven 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 50°C plus temperatures to achieve a very high aircraft availability rate,” Air Marshall Binskin said.
Pilots and the Engineering Officer in the AP-3C Orion cockpit during flight of an AP-3C Orion aircraft maritime patrol mission in the Middle East Area of Operations.
The RAAF Orion detachment in the Middle East includes about 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,” Air Marshall Binskin said.
Besides ongoing work in the Middle East, Air Force Orions also provide significant support to Operation Resolute, patrolling Australia’s northern maritime approaches.
