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      title="Department of Defence (Australia) and the search for MH370"
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<h3 style="text-align:center">Department of Defence (Australia) and the search for MH370</h3>
<p>Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing on {{Day 001}}. </p>
<p>On {{Day 002}} Australia provided two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft to assist the Malaysian Government in its search effort. Both aircraft were operated from the Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth, near Penang, and were involved in the Western Region Search Area<ref name="OpSearch_Table7" />.  One RAAF AP-3C Orion commenced searching the Indian Ocean to the north and west of the Cocos Islands on 16 March 2014. The search west of Malaysia continued until 15 March 2014.</p>
<p>On 17 March, the Australian Government assumed responsibility for search operations in Australia’s search and rescue region. The Department of Defence (Australia) supported the Australian Maritime Safety Authority as the lead search and rescue agency, in what became known as <i>Operation Southern Indian Ocean</i>.</p>
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<h3>{{Day 009}}</h3>
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<h5>Australian support to Malaysian search effort – update</h5>
<p>Two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft are continuing to support the Malaysian coordinated search mission for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.</p>
<p>Chief of the Defence Force General David Hurley said Malaysian authorities coordinating the search had re-tasked an Australian aircraft.</p>
<p>One RAAF AP-3C Orion yesterday commenced searching the Indian Ocean to the north and west of the Cocos Islands and was expected to return to that region today, General Hurley said.</p>
<p>The second RAAF AP-3C Orion will continue to search west of Malaysia.</p>
<p>Since Sunday 9 March 2014, Australia has provided two RAAF aircraft to assist the Malaysian Government in its search effort.</p>
<p>Both Australian aircraft are tasked by the Royal Malaysian Air Force Commander for the Western Region Search Area and requests for information on progress of the search should be directed to the Malaysian authorities.</p>
<p>“To date, RAAF AP-3C Orions operating from Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth, near Penang, have flown 51.5 hours on search missions,” General Hurley said.</p>
<p>“The Australian Defence Force continues to work closely with the Malaysian authorities coordinating the international search mission.</p>
<p>“Our thoughts remain with all those affected by this incident,” General Hurley said.</p>
<p>As part of this international effort, any Defence information relating to flight MH370 is passed to Malaysian authorities who are responsible for providing updated public information on efforts to locate MH370.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><u>Source</u>: Department of Defence (Australia) {{RefID:DODAU-MS-009}}</p>
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<h3>Operation Southern Indian Ocean</h3>
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<h5>Joint Task Force 658</h5>
<p>With the support of RAAF AP-3C Orion long-range maritime patrol aircraft, a visual and radar search of an extensive area more than 2,000 kilometres south-west of Perth began on 18 March. Within 24 hours, the United States Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force joined the task. On 19 March, HMAS <i>Success</i> was deployed from Fleet Base West to the search area; in the following weeks it was joined by HMAS <i>Perth</i> and HMAS <i>Toowoomba</i>. RAAF Base Pearce and Perth International Airport became the hubs for air search efforts involving more than 21 military aircraft and civilian jets from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the United States, China, Japan and South Korea. Three hundred and forty-five air sorties were conducted during 42 days of searching.</p>
<p>Joint Task Force 658 was established on 26 March to assist with coordination of the international and Australian search efforts as part of Operation Southern Indian Ocean.</p>
<p>On 30 March, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the appointment of the former Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, as the lead for coordinating the Australian Government’s response.</p>
<p>A number of acoustic detections were made by HMS <i>Echo</i>, the Chinese ship <i>Haixun 01</i>, Australian Defence Vessel <i>Ocean Shield</i> and RAAF Orion aircraft that needed to be analysed. After detailed analysis by the Australian Joint Acoustic Analysis Centre and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), all detections were eventually discounted. On 14 April, <i>Ocean Shield</i>, with an onboard team of civilian contractors supported and funded by the US Navy, deployed the Automated Underwater Vessel <i>Bluefin 21</i> to conduct a side-scan sonar survey of the ocean floor. In conjunction with DSTO, the RAAF also trialled a modified Orion aircraft with an experimental acoustic processor and modified sonobuoys enabling the aircraft to detect flight data recorder signals underwater.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><u>Source</u>: Excerpt from a feature article <i>Defence involved in search for MH370</i>, Department of Defence Annual Report 2013-14. {{RefID:DODAU-RPT-2014}}</p>
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<p>[[Department of Defence (Australia)/Search for MH370|Defence involved in search for MH370]]</p>
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<p>The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 resulted in Australia’s largest maritime search off the west coast of Australia, where
AP-3C Orions and an E-7A Wedgetail were at the forefront of the international search effort. {{RefID:DODAU-RPT-2014}}</p>


<h5>RAAF Base Pearce</h5>
<p>RAAF Base Pearce is the main Air Force base in Western Australia and is located in Bullsbrook, 35 kilometres north of Perth.<ref name="DoD_Pearce" /></p>
<p>Aircraft involved in the search for MH370 operated from [[Department of Defence (Australia)/RAAF Base Pearce|RAAF Base Pearce]], and Perth International Airport, from {{Day 011}} to {{Day 052}}.</p>
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<h5>Defence Organisations involved in the search for MH370</h5>
<ul class="ulNone" style="list-style:none">
     <li>[[Department of Defence (Australia)/DSTO|Defence Science and Technology Organisation]]</li>
     <li>[[Department of Defence (Australia)/AGO|Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation]]</li>
</ul>

<h3>MH17</h3>
<p>The Australian GeospatialIntelligence Organisation also contributed to the whole-of-government effort in the MH17 recovery operation in Ukraine. {{RefID:DODAU-RPT-2014}}</p>
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<h5>References</h5>
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<ref name="OpSearch_Table7">{{ATSB/Ref Report 3Oct2017}} [[Reports/The_Operational_Search_for_MH370/The_surface_search|<i>Table 7</i>]]</ref>


<ref name="DoD_Pearce">The website for <i>RAAF Base Pearce</i> is <html><a href="https://www.airforce.gov.au/about-us/bases/wa/pearce" target="_blank">https://www.airforce.gov.au/about-us/bases/wa/pearce</a></html></ref>
         </references>

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[[Category:Australia]]
[[Category:Department of Defence (Australia)]]