The Australian government has confirmed it will deploy military aircraft and personnel to the Persian Gulf to assist regional countries in strengthening their air defence capabilities.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on March 10 that the move follows a protection request from the United Arab Emirates. Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft to support what he described as “collective self-defence” operations in the Gulf region.
Albanese said the aircraft has long-range surveillance capabilities and is equipped with medium-range air-to-air missiles, enabling it to monitor airspace and enhance defensive measures to help protect civilians from potential attacks. He stressed that Australia’s role would be “defensive in nature,” adding that the government would not launch attacks on Iran nor deploy ground troops to the region.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said about 85 Australian military personnel will accompany the aircraft to the Middle East, with operations expected to begin in the Gulf later this week. The deployment is expected to last around four weeks. Authorities said Iran has recently carried out retaliatory strikes against several Middle Eastern countries, posing a threat to regional security. Around 24,000 Australian citizens are currently in the United Arab Emirates.
The Australian military has previously deployed the same type of early warning aircraft for international operations, including missions supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russia. The government said surveillance and air defence support missions of this kind are not uncommon.
However, the deployment has prompted mixed reactions in Australian politics. Some opposition lawmakers said they support Australia contributing to regional security in principle, while others have expressed concern that the Middle East conflict could further escalate.