EDINBURGH DEFENCE BASE

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (14:40): My question is to the Minister for Defence Industries. Can the minister tell the house about the welcome home parade for the Royal Australian Air Force personnel following 10 years of deployment in the Middle East?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health and Ageing, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:40): I acknowledge the member for Taylor, who has the RAAF superbase (it is a joint base now) Edinburgh in her electorate, and she is a very strong advocate for the defence forces in her electorate. The Royal Australian Air Force has historically been the major Australian defence force presence in South Australia with the personnel of its Edinburgh based squadrons and units being active members of several local communities and making a substantial contribution to our state.

RAAF's airborne maritime surveillance and response capability, initially in the form of the basic P-3B Orion and subsequently the advanced AP-3C variant, has been home based at RAAF Edinburgh in South Australia since May 1978. To recognise the immense contribution made by the AP-3C force to coalition operations in the Middle East over the last 10 years and the support and personal sacrifices made by the families, friends and loved ones, the state government was pleased to sponsor Number 92 Wing's officially approved family and community focused commemorative activities in Adelaide on 23 March this year, including the exercising of their right to march through the city.

Six hundred and eighty RAAF personnel marched in the welcome home parade that was attended by more than 2,000 people, including the Governor, the member for Taylor, the chief of the Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown AO and myself. The commemorative activities marked Number 92 Wing's permanent withdrawal from the Middle East and return to RAAF Base Edinburgh, bringing to a close Australia's provision of manned airborne intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance to coalition forces through the conduct of overland missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, maritime patrols in the Arabian Gulf and North Arabian Sea, and counter-piracy missions near Somalia.

Based at Al Minhad in the United Arab Emirates since January 2003, the detachment flew more than 2,400 missions and accumulated more than 23,000 flying hours. Since the early days of the deployment, the AP-3C Orion aircraft and its capabilities have been revolutionised; it has become a world-leading intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance platform operated and maintained by extremely capable and operationally experienced air and ground crews.

Over the total deployment period, Number 92WG rotated more than 3,500 personnel on tours of duty lasting between three and six months. For nearly all members of Number 92 Wing, deployments to the Middle East have been part of life, with many having completed five deployment rotations. The withdrawal of the AP-3C from the Middle East area of operations will allow the wing to return to a more normal 'raise, train, sustain' pattern of activity, including high-end war fighting skills training, as well as continuing to meet its Operation Resolute border protection obligations.

The support that the state government provided for the welcome home parade for 92 Wing sends an important message to the commonwealth government and Defence that ADF members and their families are welcome in, and highly valued by, South Australia.