Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail, an airborne early control and warning aircraft, has reached its final operational capability; and

(b) this aircraft is a significant enhancement for our Australian Defence Force (ADF) and has been a vital asset on Operation Okra in the Middle East region; and

(2) acknowledges the excellent work done by ADF personnel in carrying out their roles of protecting Australia and its national interests.

In defence circles, we sometimes hear the phrase 'force multiplier'. A force multiplier is a technology or a tactic which, when employed, has the ability to significantly increase the effectiveness of a unit. A few weeks ago I had the privilege of joining the Minister for Defence at RAAF Base Fairbairn for a ceremony to mark the completion of Project AIR 5077 Phase 3. While the name is not particularly inspiring, the result of that project certainly is. On display on the tarmac that afternoon was the Royal Australian Air Force's newest asset, the E-7A Wedgetail. The Wedgetail is a significant force multiplier for the Australian Defence Force and one of the most advanced military aircraft in the world. The RAAF Wedgetail is an all-seeing eye in the sky, equipped with advanced multi-role electronically scanned array radar. The Wedgetail controls tactical battle space both in the air and on the surface. A Wedgetail can detect and accurately track aircraft across a huge area of sky; in fact, a single Wedgetail can cover over four million square kilometres in a single mission. This incredible capability allows the ADF's other assets, particularly aircraft, to get into the right place at the right time to complete their missions.

In the theatre of combat such as the skies over Iraq right now, Wedgetail aircraft and their RAAF crews are coordinating and directing allied aircraft in their fight against terrorists and the so-called Islamic State. Already the RAAF Wedgetails have flown over 120 missions over Iraq with our coalition partners, logging more than 1,500 flying hours. Reports back from Iraq indicate the Wedgetail is performing admirably. One aircraft concluded a single mission lasting 16 hours and 18 minutes and including two air-to-air refuellings. This is the longest any 737 based aircraft has ever flown.

Beyond the ADF's combat roles, Wedgetails have been deployed closer to home in the search for MH370, with the aircraft working over the southern Indian Ocean, directing other aircraft over the search areas.

This government is committed to equipping the men and women of the Australian Defence Force with the tools they need to get the job done. Under the previous, Labor government, spending on the ADF fell to its lowest level as a percentage of GDP since 1938. The coalition government is working hard in a tight financial environment to undo some of the damage done by Labor's ham-fisted cuts. This financial year we are investing $7.2 billion in Defence equipment, nearly double the amount Labor spent in their slash-and-burn budget of 2012-13.

Since coming to office the coalition has committed to upgrading the RAAF's capabilities with additional C17 heavy transport aircraft, P8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircrafts, Triton unmanned aerial vehicles and an additional 58 state-of-the-art Joint Strike Fighters. On the ground our army is getting new protective equipment for soldiers, including a new generation body armour. We are funding new vehicles for our special forces soldiers and have begun a tender process—LAND 400—to replace ASLAVs. The Royal Australian Navy is seeing replacement programs for its vessels being brought forward. The Future Frigate Program has been moved forward three years with a commitment to the ships being built in Australia. Our offshore patrol vessel replacement program has been brought forward two years with a commitment to being built in Australia.

As you know, I have a very big Defence contingent in my electorate, and in the little time I have left I would like to place on record congratulations and thanks to the fantastic men and women of the Australian Defence Force. They do a fantastic job to keep and protect all of us, and we are absolutely committed to making sure that, if we put people in harm's way, we will do everything we can to ensure that they have the right equipment to stay safe.

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