The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has once again sent two of its P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Base Butterworth. This deployment is part of Operation Gateway, Australia’s longest-running defence operation. Flight tracking data from airplanes.live reveals that the two aircraft touched down in Malaysia on Nov. 23.
Operation Gateway is a maritime domain awareness operation, involving routine patrols to keep watch on merchant and naval vessels traversing some of the world’s most heavily trafficked shipping lanes.
This operation is a cornerstone of the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Program, which reached its 40th anniversary in 2021.
Vice Admiral Justin Jones, Chief of Joint Operations, highlighted the importance of Operation Gateway, stating, “Operation Gateway forms part of Australia’s contribution to the preservation of regional security and stability in Southeast Asia. We continue our cooperative operations between Australia and Malaysia, which provides significant benefit to both our nations.”
Wing Commander Adam Saber, Commanding Officer of No. 11 Squadron, added, “Each mission under Operation Gateway involves routine maritime domain awareness patrols to monitor merchant and naval shipping along some of the world’s busiest shipping routes.”
He went on to praise his team, “The No. 11 Squadron crews deployed to Operation Gateway are highly trained and professional aviators. This end-of-year deployment marks the culmination of a demanding 12 months and I am extremely proud of their commitment to regional operations and Australia’s interests.”
The operation underscores the shared commitment between Australia and Malaysia to fostering peace, security, and prosperity within the Indo-Pacific region.
The deployed aircraft, with tail numbers A47-001 and A47-012, operated under callsigns ASY182 and ASY190 respectively. Personnel from RAAF Base Edinburgh’s 92 Wing are responsible for the operation and maintenance of these No. 11 Squadron P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
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