Page 68 - Australian Defence Magazine November 2021

68 AIRPOWER
NOVEMBER 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
RAAF F/A-18A Hornets from 77 Squadron fly
in formation with JASDF F-15J and F-2A fighters during Exercise Bushido Guardian 19 conducted from Chitose Air Base in Japan.
REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT – STRENGTH THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
The transformation of the RAAF into a ‘fifth generation’ force and the acquisition of those same capabilities by other Indo Pacific nations has given Air Force a unique opportunity to boost capabilities and engage with its partners by enhancing interoperability with like-minded countries.
MIKE YEO | MELBOURNE
THIS engagement would be in effect an extension of what the RAAF has been doing all along, with Australia’s in- volvement in operations like Operation Gateway to ensure maritime security in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, using P-3 Orions and now P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft over the past decades.
The RAAF is also continuing engagement with regional nations via training activities, with numerous bilateral and multilateral training under the auspices of organisa- tions like the Five Power Defence Arrangement with Ma- laysia, Singapore, the UK and New Zealand, and setting up the Pitch Black series of multilateral high-end air com- bat exercises.
These efforts have extended to other countries as well – Australia has also conducted bilateral training with the air forces of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The refur- bishment and donation of the RAAF’s C-130H Hercules airlifters to Indonesia after their retirement in 2012 was also a sensible move and is perhaps one of the key indica- tors of Australia’s commitment to regional security.
This has expanded in recent years with RAAF P-8As joining in efforts to monitor North Korean sanctions-bust- ing activities in waters surrounding the secretive Stalin- ist state; the regular low-key deployment of AP-3C(EW) Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic
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