Australia will be providing aid shipments and deploying one of the world’s most advanced surveillance aircraft to Ukraine in response to the ongoing conflict with Russia. The aircraft, known as the E-7A Wedgetail, is capable of coordinating battles in real-time and detecting airborne threats. It can undertake long-range missions and cover a vast area. Australia is one of four countries operating this surveillance plane with six planes currently in service. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the importance of defending the international rules-based order and expressed gratitude to Germany for hosting the plane. The deployment of the aircraft will also involve up to 100 crew and support personnel traveling to Germany for six months. However, neither the aircraft nor the personnel will be involved in the Ukraine conflict, and they will remain outside of relevant airspace. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed appreciation for Australia’s support to Ukraine’s defense effort. Australia previously announced a multi-million-dollar assistance package for Ukraine, adding to its total contribution of $790 million. Prime Minister Albanese also affirmed Australia’s support for NATO during his visit to Europe for a NATO meeting.