Australia to deploy Wedgetail aircraft for Hormuz mission

Australia will contribute an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft to a multinational military mission aimed at safeguarding shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a joint statement by Australian and British ministers.

The statement, issued after talks between the foreign and defence ministers of Australia and the United Kingdom and published by Australia’s defence department, said the Royal Australian Air Force aircraft would operate as part of a mission led by the United Kingdom and France.

It stressed that the operation would be “purely defensive” and focused on ensuring freedom of navigation through the strategically vital waterway.

Britain is expected to contribute Typhoon fighter jets, the destroyer HMS Dragon, unmanned surface vessels designed to detect and track potential threats, as well as equipment for mine countermeasure operations.

The ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to coordinating diplomatic, economic and military efforts to maintain freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The joint statement added that the conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the strait are negatively affecting the global economy, energy supplies and energy security, particularly in the most vulnerable countries, including those in the Pacific region.

By Tamilla Hasanova