Release details
Release type
Related ministers and contacts
Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC
Minister for Defence
Media contact
Nicky Hamer (Minister Reynolds’ Office): +61 437 989 927
Defence Media: media@defence.gov.au
Release content
14 September 2019
As part of Australia’s contribution to the US-led Global Coalition against Daesh, a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft has arrived in the Middle East.
Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said the deployment of the E7-A will support the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in their ongoing fight against terrorism in Iraq.
“The ISF is leading operations to prevent the re-emergence of Daesh in Iraq and in repelling incursions by Daesh into Iraq’s sovereign territory,” Minister Reynolds said.
“Australia has made a significant and continuous contribution to the Global Coalition against Daesh in Iraq and Syria and continues to provide support to Iraq to ensure progress is sustained.”
The aircraft has been deployed to the Air Task Group several times since October 2014.
The E-7A Wedgetail is an airborne early warning and control platform that can gather information from a wide variety of sources, analyse it and communicate this information to friendly air and surface assets.
The E-7A will join the Australian KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft, currently providing air-to-air refuelling capability to a variety of coalition aircraft supporting operations in Iraq and Syria as part of the ADF’s Operation OKRA.
Imagery is available at: https://images.defence.gov.au/S20192182 and video is available at: https://bit.ly/2kD826j.