Canberra has dispatched a Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Middle East to protect Australians and other civilians in the region.
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) notes that the United Arab Emirates alone has shot down over 1,500 rockets and drones, and that the “growing wave of dangerous and destabilising attacks from Iran” threatens civilians.
The DoD indicates that the E-7A has been dispatched in “response to requests”. The aircraft will be able to provide the early detection of Iranian drones and missiles, giving UAE defences more time to react.
In response to another request, Canberra also will send Raytheon AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles to the UAE.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia already operate considerable AEW&C fleets. The UAE uses five Bombardier Global 6000-based Saab GlobalEyes, while Saudi Arabia – which has also been subject to Iranian attacks – has five Boeing E-3A Sentries and two Saab 2000-based Erieyes.
The government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stresses that Australia is not involved in offensive action against Iran, which Israel and the US have been striking since 28 February.
Canberra estimates that there are about 115,000 Australians in the Middle East, with 24,000 of those in the UAE.
The UK is also providing support for the UAE. On 9 March the Ministry of Defence announced that it is “conducting defensive air sorties” in support of the UAE, but did not provide specifics.
Meanwhile, Singapore has announced that an Airbus Defence & Space A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport will be sent to Riyadh to evacuate Singaporeans, with a second flight also being planned.
It notes that the aircraft are being sent owing to the “urgent need” of Singaporeans in the region to return to Singapore amid a lack of commercial options – key regional hubs such as Dubai and Qatar are operating at sharply reduced capacity because of the war.
Separately, the US Department of State has given its approval to a potential Foreign Military Sales deal to provide Israel with 12,000 BLU-110A/B general purpose 453kg (1,000lb) bombs, worth up to $152 million.
