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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Tom McIlroy and Josh Butler

Australian spy plane operators in Middle East not sharing intel with US for offensive operations, defence boss says

A E-7A Wedgetail escorted by a F/A-18F Super Hornet in 2017
A E-7A Wedgetail escorted by a F/A-18F Super Hornet in 2017. The surveillance plane’s deployment to the Middle East has been extended beyond its initial four-week mission. Photograph: CPL Brenton Kwaterski/Department of Defence

Australian personnel operating a state-of-the-art surveillance plane are filtering information gleaned from the Middle East war to ensure intelligence is not shared with the United States for offensive purposes, the defence force chief says.

As the federal government extended the deployment of the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft on Thursday, the chief of Defence, Admiral David Johnston, said the crew were taking active steps to only contribute to defensive operations.

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