The country’s most sophisticated military surveillance plane could be deployed to the Middle East after a request from Gulf nations for Australia to help defend against Iranian drone and missile attacks.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong revealed on Sunday that the federal government was considering a request to provide defensive military assistance to Gulf nations, while stressing Australia would not play a role in offensive operations.
The government has yet to announce who has requested assistance and what capabilities Australia could provide.
The United Arab Emirates – where thousands of Australians have been stranded since the war between Israel, the United States and Iran erupted – has been seen as one of the most likely countries to receive support from Australia.
Fergus McLachlan, who had a 37-year career in the army, said the defence force was likely to send an asset such as the air force’s E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft.
“It would provide genuinely useful information about incoming missiles and drones,” McLachlan said.
“I do think it would materially add to the Gulf countries’ defence.”
The aircraft was previously deployed to Poland to help protect supply lines delivering international aid to Ukraine.
The air force says on its website that the Wedgetail “provides Australia with one of the most advanced airspace battle management capabilities in the world”.
“The Wedgetail combines long-range surveillance radar, secondary radar and tactical/strategic voice and data communications systems to provide an airborne early warning and control platform.
“During a standard mission, the E-7A Wedgetail can cover more than four million square kilometres, an area the size of Western Australia or the Northern Territory. It is capable of unlimited long-range deployment with in-flight refuelling.”
McLachlan said one of the navy’s air warfare destroyers could also be useful to help deter incoming attacks, but it would take weeks to arrive in the region.
Retired major general Mick Ryan said Australia’s surveillance aircraft were “genuinely world-class, there’s no doubt about that”.
Ryan said a P-8A Poseidon, a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft, could also be used by Gulf countries in a defensive capacity.
The aircraft are used for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
“We’ve had many countries which are non-participants [that] have been attacked by Iran. You would anticipate as a consequence that we have been asked for assistance and we will work through that,” Wong told the ABC’s Insiders on Sunday.
“We will work through that in accordance with the position I have outlined, which is we are not participating in offensive action against Iran. And we’ve made clear we would not participate in any ground troop deployment into Iran.”
Wong, who spoke to her United Arab Emirates counterpart Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed last week, continued: “We have been asked, and we will consider, in accordance with those principles.”
Opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said the opposition had sought a briefing about any potential deployment of Australian personnel to the Middle East.
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Matthew Knott is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X, Facebook or email.