Australia extends Wedgetail mission in Middle East

Australia has extended the deployment of its E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft in the Middle East beyond an initial four-week mission, keeping the operation based in the United Arab Emirates region. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the decision on Thursday after cabinet’s national security committee agreed to continue the deployment.

Admiral David Johnston, the Chief of the Defence Force, said the Australian Defence Force is applying controls to ensure intelligence from the aircraft is not used for offensive operations. He stated that the roughly 85 ADF personnel operating the Wedgetail are actively filtering what the platform collects so that information is shared only for defensive purposes.

Johnston said the aircraft’s crew shares information about drones and other airborne threats with the United States. At the same time, he said operators withhold data that is not directly connected to defensive action, and that the decision on what is disseminated is managed by the Wedgetail’s operators.

The extension comes as Australia prepares to release its next national defense strategy. Johnston said Australia’s strategic priorities are currently centered on maintaining regional stability in the Indo-Pacific, even as some U.S. officials have called for support in other areas, including the Strait of Hormuz.

Johnston said the ADF retains the capability to deploy naval assets to regions such as the Strait of Hormuz, but that Australia is prioritizing its Indo-Pacific commitments. Officials framed the approach as balancing continued involvement in the Middle East with a focus on Australia’s nearer strategic environment.