The latest deployment in one of Defence’s longest-running operations has returned to Australia, marking 45 years of Operation Gateway and reinforcing Australia’s enduring commitment to regional engagement, cooperation and stability. 

As part of Operation Gateway, three Royal Australian Air Force P‑8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft have returned from Malaysia after completing a two‑week deployment. 

Flying from Royal Malaysian Air Force Butterworth in Malaysia, the P-8As completed maritime domain awareness missions to the Northeast Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.

Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, AO, CSC, said these missions provide Australia and Malaysia with information about merchant and naval shipping.

“For over 40 years, Operation Gateway has allowed Australia and Malaysia to make vital contributions to the collective security of the Indo-Pacific,” Vice Admiral Jones said.

“It is an example of Australia’s long-standing practice of maintaining a presence abroad, and collaborating with others for the shared benefit of our region.

“Malaysia is one of Australia’s most important regional security partners, and we share a commitment to a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”

Operation Gateway sees P-8A crews monitor one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.  

As an economic highway spanning Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the Indian Ocean is one of the globe’s most strategically significant shipping corridors. Half of the world’s shipping container traffic and two thirds of oil shipments transit the region.

P-8A missions during Operation Gateway are conducted in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

This latest deployment follows the release of Australia’s 2026 National Defence Strategy, which emphasised the importance of the Northeast Indian Ocean to Australia’s security. 

Established in 1980, with the first deployment in 1981, Operation Gateway forms part of the Malaysia Australian Joint Defence Program. 

MEDIA NOTE:

Media can access imagery of Operation Gateway at http://images.defence.gov.au/S20261517 

Information about Operation Gateway is at https://www.defence.gov.au/defence-activities/operations/indo-pacific-operations/gateway