The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has announced that they will bring back a highly reputable Air Squadron to operate advanced unmanned aircraft and conduct surveillance in the northern waters. The 9 Squadron, first established in 1939, will operate the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The MQ-4C Triton has a wingspan of 39.9m similar to that of a Boeing 737, and can fly up to 24 hours. It is ideal for maritime intelligence and reconnaissance. This system will arrive in Australia in mid-2024 and has been training with the Australian and US Navy since November 2022. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will replace the AP-3C Orions, and this system will operate alongside the P-8A Poseidon.
The RAAF Chief of Air Force Rob Chipman paid tribute to the 9 Squadron, which has flown 237,424 missions and has been re-established in the Vietnam War in 1962 after being previously operational from 1939 to 1944. The emblem of the 9 Squadron is an Australian native bird, the black-browed albatross, which is a perfect symbol for the perfect Squadron to establish the MQ-4 Triton capability.
In other developments, the Australian-owned SYPAQ Systems has supplied around 100 cardboard drones to the Ukraine Armed Forces per month since 2022 as part of a $33 million (US$22.33 million) commitment to supply the country with unmanned systems. SYPAQ Systems developed the Corvo™ Precision Payload Delivery System (PPDS) in partnership with the Australian Army under a $1.1 million (US$0.74 million) Defence Innovation Hub contract. The PPDS comes flat-packed, constructed from thick, wax-coated cardboard and heavy-duty rubber bands that secure the wings. It can fly up to 120 km independently, making it ideal for delivering supplies and equipment to areas that may be unreachable by traditional logistic capabilities. The drone has been used for several lethal missions in Ukraine, and it has removed the cognitive load on soldiers during operations. Defence Minister Richard Marles commented on the usefulness of this innovation that doesn’t relate directly to Australia’s current situation. Nonetheless, it is essential to increase Australia’s defence industry in a strategic way to raise the country’s strategic weight.