30 May 2025
Military members from around the world convened for the ninth annual C-130 and Fighter Aircraft Logistics and Safety Symposium (LASS) in Sydney during May.
The LASS is coordinated by the US Pacific Air Force’s (PACAF) Directorate of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, and was this year co-hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force.
Its primary focus is to build partnerships and promote C-130 Hercules and fighter aircraft interoperability through the exchange of logistics, safety and maintenance-related information with Indo-Pacific partner nations.
The symposium provided the partner nations with an opportunity to engage in a variety of topics and further international engagement and relationship development.
Wing Commander Joshua Buggy, the senior logistician at Headquarters Air Mobility Group, was pleased to co-host the LASS with PACAF.
“Having attended the last forum in New Zealand in 2024, I felt it was a great opportunity for the Royal Australian Air Force to co-host,” Wing Commander Buggy said.
“The LASS provides an opportunity for all attendees to provide briefs on a wide variety of topics, including maintenance procedures and operations, safety, logistics and best practices, and is also an excellent opportunity for international engagement and relationship development.
“It provides opportunities to understand various challenges other operators are experiencing, and in some instances, how these could be overcome.”
'Our strength is collective focus, open engagement and partnerships, and it is through events like the LASS that we are able to further enhance this.'
This year, participants were invited from a range of countries, including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the United States.
Participants visited RAAF Base Richmond for tours and briefings from 37 Squadron and the broader RAAF C-130J Hercules enterprise. This provided the international visitors an insight into how the Air Force operates the capability.
During the Richmond visit, delegates had the opportunity to experience cultural immersion activities, organised by the base’s Indigenous Liaison Officer Sergeant Ron Schultz. This was a highlight for the participants.
For Wing Commander Buggy, one of the key experiences was bringing together partners from across the Pacific, Southeast Asia, the north-east Indian Ocean region and further afield.
“With friends and partners from around the globe, a highlight of the LASS has to be getting insights into the challenges, successes and manner in which other forces operate their aircraft,” Wing Commander Buggy said.
“Whilst we come from a variety of different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, there are a lot of similarities.
"Our strength is collective focus, open engagement and partnerships, and it is through events like the LASS that we are able to further enhance this.”
