The RAAF’s historic Quantity 12 Squadron has been re-established at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia.
The squadron has been returned to service to enhance Australia’s maritime surveillance functionality and coincide with the arrival of Australia’s thirteenth P-8A Poseidon plane. A last plane is scheduled to reach subsequent 12 months.
“Quantity 12 Squadron has performed a proud position within the historical past of our Air Drive and the defence of our nation, a job it would proceed from right now,” in keeping with Chief of Air Drive Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, chatting with the ABC this week.
The historic Quantity 12 Squadron was initially fashioned in 1939 as a Royal Australian Air Drive basic goal, bomber and transport squadron. Its members noticed fight within the South West Pacific theatre of World Battle II whereas conducting maritime patrols off northern Australia within the early Forties and had been based mostly at Merauke in western New Guinea from November 1943 to July 1944 earlier than working as a heavy bomber unit from February 1945 till the tip of the conflict.
The squadron was beforehand reformed in 1973 to function transport helicopters earlier than being finally disbanded in 1989.
Earlier this month, the RAAF deployed a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane and its crew to Japan beneath Operation Argos.
Working from Kadena Air Base, that plane will undertake coordinated surveillance missions to discourage and disrupt unlawful maritime exercise by monitoring and recording ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned items at sea.
The plane is deployed to assist the enforcement of United Nations Safety Council (UNSC) sanctions on North Korea.
Since 2006, the UNSC has handed practically a dozen resolutions imposing sanctions towards North Korea for growing nuclear weapons and associated actions.
“By Operation Argos, the Australian Defence Drive continues to play an important position in sustaining peace and safety within the Indo-Pacific, working alongside our worldwide companions to implement UNSC sanctions,” Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones mentioned.
“Australia stays dedicated to implementing United Nations Safety Council sanctions towards North Korea till it takes concrete steps in direction of denuclearisation.
“Our deployment reinforces Australia’s robust dedication to uphold worldwide regulation and assist the rules-based international order.”
