12/02/2016: HMAS Arunta and her ship’s company of 191 departed HMAS Stirling naval base at Rockingham, Western Australia for Operation MANITOU in the Middle East Region. This is Arunta’s 3rd deployment to the area and the first time a ship will be deployed for nine months. HMAS Arunta and her ship’s…
07/06/2016: The ordering, assembling, and loading munitions is a full time job at Australia’s main air operating base in the Middle East region. The assembly and loading of weapons is undertaken by Armament Technicians using the necessary ground support equipment. This activity is usually conducted at night to avoid the high…
06/15/2016: Family and friends gathered at Fleet Base West, Rockingham to farewell HMAS Perth as she departed for the Middle East Region to relieve HMAS Darwin. The Commander Australian Fleet, RADM Stuart Mayer, CSC and Bar, RAN and Commander Australian Surface Force, CDRE Lee Goddard, CSC, RAN were on hand and…
02/14/2015: HMAS Melbourne deployed to the Middle East Region for Operation Manitou, Australia’s contribution to the US-led multi-national Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) on 9 August 2015. In her seven-month deployment, Melbourne made a significant impact on drug trafficking and enhanced maritime security in the region, seizing nearly one tonne of illegal…
11/22/2015: Newly appointed Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Leo Davies, recently visited the Air Task Group (ATG) in the Middle East region. Davies is seen aboard both the KC-30A tanker and the Wedgetail AEW aircraft. The RAAF ATG is operating at the request of the Iraqi Government within a…
11/23/2015: In this recent video from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, the KC-30A is seen on the ramp being maintained. Credit: The KC-30A is a clear maintenance success as highlighted in an interview with Air Vice Marshal Warren McDonald. The RAAF has deployed a single KC-30A to the Middle East…
08/04/2015: During a visit to Australia in August 2015, Second Line of Defense had a chance to talk with senior RAFF personnel about the operations in Iraq and Syria. There will be more to come as these interviews are completed, but a key point was that two new combat systems were…
04/21/2015: Mr. Stoltenberg visited Iceland to discuss issues at the top of NATO’s security agenda. He discussed Russia’s continued aggressive actions in Ukraine and the rise of violent extremism in the Middle East and North Africa with Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur, David Gunnlaugsson and Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson. …
