Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Defence minister, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on how Australia is assisting the US-led recovery operation following the tragic MV-22 incident off the coast of Central Queensland in the weeks following Talisman Sabre?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Macdonald for his question and his interest in this issue. I want to, first and foremost, express my most sincere sympathies to the families and to the members of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force who have been affected by the very tragic events surrounding the downing of the MV-22 Osprey helicopter on Saturday off the coast of Shoalwater Bay in Queensland. On being advised of the incident, Mr President, I briefed the Prime Minister and spoke directly with my United States counterpart, the defence secretary Jim Mattis, to offer Australia's assistance in any way that we could.

Australia has been able to assist the United States' 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in key roles as part of the US-led recovery operations. HMAS Melville, a Royal Australian Navy survey vessel based in Cairns, was deployed on Sunday. HMAS Melville commenced survey operations in the area on Sunday evening and, shortly thereafter, located the submerged aircraft relatively quickly. The positional information and associated hydrographic information has been passed to the United States to assist with further recovery planning. A navy clearance diver team also departed Richmond via a Royal Australian Air Force C-130J Hercules around midnight on Sunday night as well. The diving team transferred to HMAS Melville via a US navy landing craft. I can confirm that that team commenced operations with a remotely operated underwater vehicle late yesterday. The imagery from the underwater recovery vehicle assists with the dive planning for the recovery of the three missing marines.

These recovery operations are very complex in nature. They're affected by a range of factors including weather conditions, depth, sea state, debris, water current and a number of others. I particularly want to thank the ADF personnel who are involved in this process for their very swift response and their professionalism.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald, a supplementary question.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How will Australia continue to assist the US-led recovery operation?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have Australian Army aviation assets, as well as other ADF personnel and assets, remaining at short-notice readiness to support any further requests for assistance. In the coming days, we will see the dive team and the crew of HMAS Melville working closely with the US military to continue their planning and recovery operations. The focus will be, of course, on finding and recovering the three missing marines and then on retrieving crucial equipment, such as the flight data recorder, which will aid in accident investigation. As I said, these are complex operations affected by a range of factors, including the state of the aircraft wreckage, which is yet to be determined, and what access divers are able to gain to it. It could, in fact, take some time. There is a United States salvage vessel en route to Shoalwater Bay, which will assist in enabling the recovery of the helicopter, weather and conditions permitting.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald, a final supplementary question.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could the minister please advise how our country and the United States continue to ensure that they are able to work collaboratively together on operations like this one, albeit, hopefully, never one quite as tragic as this?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take the point Senator Macdonald made at the conclusion of his question. But, unfortunately, it is often through the most challenging circumstances—and, in this case, indeed, through tragic accident—that the strength of the alliance with the United States and our ability to work collaboratively is reinforced. Australia and the US are focused on working to ensure that our militaries are interoperable and able to work together seamlessly in circumstances such as these. Indeed, ironically, this was demonstrated most recently through Exercise Talisman Sabre, which concluded in late July. More than 33,000 United States and Australian personnel and number of our neighbouring nations took part in the largest joint exercise to test and evaluate our amphibious capabilities. So, whether it is in training or in peacetime operations or in operations in conflicts such as those we see currently in Afghanistan and in the campaign to defeat Daesh, Australia and the United States do have a proud history of confronting adversity together.