Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft are now even better placed to support Coalition operations in the Middle East, with the introduction of real time video links to support ground forces.

The Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) provides ground commanders a valuable real time aerial view of their surrounding environment. This helps protect coalition forces by warning them of hostile or suspicious activity.

TCDL is being progressively fitted to the RAAF AP-3C Orion fleet, and is part of a larger series of major capital projects under the AP-3C Capability Assurance Program (Project AIR 5276 CAP).

DMO delivered the TCDL capability to a very aggressive schedule and under budget through a strategic alliance between the Commonwealth, Tenix Defence and Australian Aerospace known as the P3 Accord.

This upgrade enables RAAF Orion crews to enhance the support already provided to Coalition forces in the Middle East Area of Operation. Since 2003, the Orion aircraft have used their sensitive imagery equipment to track people, vehicles and ships of interest by day or night.

The Orions are traditionally a maritime patrol aircraft, but since late 2003 RAAF Orion aircraft have been conducting overland patrols of Iraq, in addition to watching over international waters in the Persian Gulf.