Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Australian Army have positioned airborne surveillance and airlift forces for possible operations in East Timor as it emerges that Indonesia sought Australian assistance in April to monitor aircraft movements around the troubled island. Indonesia is also believed to be making use of commercial satellite imagery as part of ongoing surveillance of pro-independence movement activities in the territory.
Pre-positioning of Australian aircraft was initially to provide an evacuation capability for 50 Australian civilian police working with the UN in East Timor and follows a dramatic escalation of violence following a UN-sponsored referendum on 30 August to determine whether East Timor will remain part of Indonesia.
The scale of the deployment indicates, however, that Australia is preparing for possible operations in the Indonesian province, although officials emphasise that any Australian military role will be under UN auspices.
The RAAF's four General Dynamics RF-111C strike reconnaissance aircraft have been deployed from Amberley in southern Queensland to Tindal in the Northern Territory, along with two Lockheed Martin P-3C Orions modified for enhanced surveillance roles. Also at Tindal are at least 10 Army Sikorsky UH-60A Blackhawk helicopters, most of the Lockheed Martin C-130H tactical transport fleet and Boeing 707 transports.
The RAAF is also preparing its two Western Australian "bare bases" for operations. The bases are each equipped to support medium intensity air operations for short periods.
Australia's co-operative surveillance programme was instigated at the request of the Indonesian armed forces (TNI). It is believed to involve the RAAF, Air Traffic Australia and Australian Coast Watch. Australia's sole operational Over The Horizon Radar array at Alice Springs may also be involved.
Senior Australian Government officials decline to comment on the programme, but acknowledge that co-operation with Indonesia is continuing. The Indonesian Embassy in Canberra confirms TNI's approach in April to the Australian Defence Force. Help was requested to monitor aircraft movements after surveillance revealed an unspecified aircraft on the ground in East Timor. It was thought the aircraft could have originated from Darwin, but the TNI concluded - after reviewing Australian data - that the aircraft was operating from a large commercial ship in the waters adjacent to Timor. The embassy declines to comment on the current status of monitoring activities.
In June, Australia's top intelligence analyst Hugh White told a Senate Committee hearing that comments by senior Indonesian Government officials indicated that TNI was making use of commercial satellite imagery to monitor shipping and aircraft movements around East Timor. White told the Senate Committee that Australia expected to continue assisting TNI with the monitoring of air movements "as long as it continues to be a concern to the Indonesians".
• RAAF F-111s have resumed flying operations after a temporary grounding of the 35 aircraft due to suspected engine cracking. Inspections revealed cracks around tie-bolt holes in two engines were isolated problems.
Source: Flight International
