Indonesia's neighbour sends military aircraft to the Middle East, joining the war?
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Australian government has begun deploying military assets to the Middle East amid escalating regional conflict and ongoing efforts to evacuate its nationals. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that military assets have been deployed as part of a government contingency plan.
According to SBS News, two military aircraft have been deployed to support the government’s response to the outbreak of conflict. The two aircraft are a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III heavy transport aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport, an air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft.
The first commercial flight from Dubai since the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran broke out last Saturday landed in Sydney on Wednesday night. The flight carried more than 200 Australians successfully evacuated from the conflict zone.
Albanese said the second flight bound for Sydney had departed Dubai on Thursday morning local time, and more flights from the United Arab Emirates are expected to follow shortly. “Another flight, EK414, is in the air with more than 200 Australians on board,” Albanese told the House of Representatives on Thursday. He also said two additional flights were scheduled to depart from the UAE on the same day, although conditions in the area remain highly unstable. “We know there are many Australians waiting for the opportunity to come home,” he said. “The Australian Government, the UAE, and Gulf states are working hard to secure more flights so that Australians can return home as soon as possible.”
Australia’s move comes after the New Zealand government earlier announced it would send two Defence Force aircraft to repatriate its citizens from the conflict-hit region.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Wednesday that the government is not considering sending Australian troops to become involved in the conflict, even if asked by the United States. When asked on Thursday morning about the involvement of personnel, Wong declined to provide specifics about assets placed on the ground, but stressed that the government is preparing for a range of possibilities. She noted that the conflict is developing much faster than many had anticipated and warned about the rapid and intensified spread of the fighting, with Iran’s response catching many by surprise.