Surveillance with Indons

AN AIR Force Orion and an Indonesia Air Force B737 Surveiller will be part of a combined maritime aerial surveillance exercise held in the Timor Sea in April 2005.

The activity will mark the resumption of the Albatros Ausindo series of exercises that were conducted between 1997 and 1999.

The exercise will involve air assets only to be used to locate and identify vessels at sea. Both aircraft will be airborne concurrently, the Surveiller operating at medium to high altitude and the Orion operating at lower altitudes.

They will share their information to build up a surveillance picture. More detailed planning and scenario building will not occur until later this year.

Wing Commander Craig Meighan, the Deputy Director International Engagements, said the exercise would provide an opportunity to improve interoperability and information exchange between Australia and Indonesia’s maritime air surveillance forces and build personal rapport between the two defence forces.

“Maritime surveillance is of vital interest to both Australia and Indonesia as maritime countries and as a result both Air Forces agreed to a resumption of activities that aimed to build relationships and enhance professional exchanges,”

WGCDR Meighan said.

“We anticipate this exercise will occur regularly in the future, although no discussion on possible frequency has occurred yet,” he said.

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