Summary

Australia to provide E-7A Wedgetail to ‘defensive’ mission in Strait of Hormuz Defence Minister Richard Marles has revealed what Australia is set to contribute to a multinational effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Australia plans to deploy its E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as part of a global peacekeeping effort, Defence Minister Richard Marles said. The war in the Middle East has wrought chaos on global energy markets after Tehran’s defacto closure of the Strait disrupted the flow of oil supply from the region. The move came in retaliation to the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran. The US has since imposed a counter-blockade of Iran’s coastline, including its ports, as part of military efforts to get ships through the waterway. Crude oil prices have since remained volatile and remain above the crucial economic threshold $100 per barrel. The UK and France are leading international diplomacy efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait, including the establishment of a naval coalition to help achieve this outcome. These discussions have excluded the US. Overnight, Mr Marles participated in another round of these talks with more than 40 of his global counterparts. He said in a statement the discussions reaffirmed “the use of collective diplomatic, economic and military capabilities to support freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz”. “Australia stands ready to support an independent and strictly defensive Multinational Military Mission, led by the United Kingdom and France, once it is established,” Mr Marles said. “Our intention is to contribute Australia’s world-leading E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to this defensive effort. “While this platform is already doing work in the region, providing this capability would make a valuable contribution to the multinational mission and efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” He said the multinational military mission was designed to work alongside “ongoing diplomatic engagement and de-escalation efforts, while demonstrating a tangible commitment to the security of international trade”. “We want to see this conflict end, the Strait of Hormuz open and freedom of navigation resume,” Mr Marles said. “The longer this conflict goes on the more significant the impact on Australia will be. Our Government is doing all we can to shield Australians from the impacts.” The RAAF surveillance aircraft was sent to the Middle East in March on request of the United Arab Emirates. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at the time it was to provide “defensive support” to Gulf nations from retaliatory attacks launched by Tehran following the US and Israel’s February 28 attack. Some ADF personnel and Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) were also sent alongside the Wedgetail.