Image credits: Royal Australian Air Force

Australia will deploy a long-range military reconnaissance aircraft to the Gulf as tensions escalate in the Middle East, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Tuesday.The government will send an E-7A Wedgetail aircraft along with supporting defence force personnel for an initial four-week mission aimed at helping “protect and secure the airspace above the Gulf,” Albanese told a news conference.The deployment follows discussions between Albanese and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, which has faced a wave of aerial attacks.Albanese said the UAE, home to an estimated 24,000 Australians, has intercepted more than 1,500 rockets and drones fired by Iran in retaliation following US-Israeli strikes.Australia will also supply advanced, medium-range air-to-air missiles to the UAE “in response to a request,” the prime minister said.“The first priority of my government is, and always will be, to keep Australians safe,” Albanese said.“Helping Australians means also helping the UAE and other Gulf nations to defend themselves against what are unprovoked attacks,” he added.Albanese stressed that Australia’s role in the region would remain defensive.“My government has been clear that we’re not taking offensive action against Iran, and we’ve been clear that we are not deploying Australian troops on the ground in Iran.”

The E-7A Wedgetail is an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and the centrepiece of Australia’s national air defence capability.Based on the Boeing 737-700 series aircraft, the Wedgetail has been modified for the modern battlespace. It combines long-range surveillance radar, secondary radar and tactical and strategic voice and data communication systems to provide an airborne platform capable of monitoring and managing large areas of airspace.A key feature of the aircraft is the advanced Northrop Grumman Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar, integrated onto an aircraft for the first time. The radar gathers information from multiple sources to provide situational awareness of both airborne and maritime targets.Aircrew analyse this information to control the tactical battlespace and direct fighter aircraft, land forces and surface combatants through 10 onboard mission consoles, allowing commanders to coordinate operations in real time across air, sea and land domains.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 also capable of long-range deployment with in-flight refuelling, allowing it to operate far from its home base for extended missions, reported the Royal Australian Air Force.Australia operates six E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. They are flown by No. 2 Squadron and are based at RAAF Base Williamtown near Newcastle.Boeing Defense Australia is contracted to deliver upgrades and sustainment services for the fleet throughout its service life. The work is carried out in partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force’s No. 42 Wing, the Airborne Surveillance, Control and Intelligence System Program Office and industry partners, with support from Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security team in the United States.

The E-7A Wedgetail is 33.6 metres long with a wingspan of 34.3 metres and a height of 12.6 metres. It has a maximum take-off weight of 77,565 kilograms and a maximum landing weight of 60,782 kilograms.Powered by two CFM International CFM56-7 turbofan engines producing 27,300 pounds of thrust each, the aircraft has a maximum speed of 955 km/h and a cruising speed of 760 km/h. It can reach a ceiling of 41,000 feet and has a range of about 7,040 kilometres.The Australian government says about 115,000 Australian nationals are currently across the Middle East, with around 2,600 having already returned home.“Significant challenges remain, and further work is underway to support those still seeking to leave,” Albanese said, as quoted by AFP.As part of those efforts, Canberra said last week it deployed a heavy transport aircraft and a fuel transport plane to assist with potential evacuations from the region.Albanese also revealed Friday that Australian military personnel were aboard a US submarine that sank an Iranian navy ship off Sri Lanka.He said the Australians were on the submarine as part of training arrangements under AUKUS, a long-term defence partnership between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, stressing that they did not take part in the attack.