As the C-27J Spartan soared skyward from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, with fully laden fuel tanks, ahead awaited hours of surveillance across the vast, blue expanses of the Pacific Ocean.
The RAAF aircraft worked alongside other regional partners in the operation as it criss-crossed vast stretches of water and the busy international shipping lanes, searching for illegal fishing craft and any other suspicious maritime behaviour.
Crew from 35 Squadron, from Amberley in Queensland, were joined by their ‘sister squadron’, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) Air Transport Wing.
Meanwhile, the patrol boat HMPNGS Gilbert Toropo was deployed to Milne Bay, providing maximum coverage.
Operation Solania – Island Chief – is the third installation of the ADF contribution to the Forum Fisheries Agency’s maritime surveillance operations throughout 2024.
As the pilot and co-pilot from 35 Squadron methodically criss-cross each designated target area, the loadmasters sit at the small windows scanning the waters below in the hope of glimpsing a vessel.
As soon as anything of interest is spotted, the pilots push the Spartan down towards the ocean surface for a closer look and the crew get ready to capture the vital data needed for Op Solania’s success.
Cameras at the ready as the target passes by in the blink of an eye, each vessel is identified, with its name and port of origin recorded along with any other visible markings, while its position is noted and everything is captured in a series of snaps.
Op Solania – Island Chief – Contingent Commander Flight Lieutenant Brendan Lohman, from 35 Squadron, explained what happens when a vessel is located during a patrol.
“We reposition our aircraft to look for that boat, come alongside it and we’ll do a couple of passes and take some photos of that vessel,” Flight Lieutenant Lohman said.
“Those photos are filed along with any other tracking data that we can get and then that is collectively sent through the Forum Fisheries Agency.”
ADF maritime surveillance operations, such as Operation Solania, are integral for protecting the territorial sovereignty and the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of Pacific Island Countries.
“PNG has an Exclusive Economic Zone where they have rights to access and fish,” Flight Lieutenant Lohman said.
“They want to protect that region, because for PNG a significant part of their economy is fishing. And we’re here to support that and make sure that everyone is out there doing their part and looking after that EEZ.”
The Spartan stays airborne most of the day, chasing down and recording every vessel that comes into range.
Weary but satisfied, the pilots and air crew return to base, where the 35 Squadron support team is waiting to give the aircraft the once-over, and have it ready to resume the hunt tomorrow.
Throughout the two-week surveillance operation dozens of boats of all shapes and sizes are spotted, keeping Australia’s neighbours’ backyards safe and free of illegal vessels so that the locals can continue to enjoy their own abundant natural resources.
