Two advanced US surveillance aircraft made an unannounced stop in Western Australia only days after the Trump administration began bombing Iran, and both Australian and American officials are declining to discuss why they came.
The aircraft, identified as P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance planes, landed at RAAF Base Pearce in Perth on Monday afternoon after flying from Diego Garcia, the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean.
The visit was not publicly signalled ahead of time. One military source described the arrival as “unexpected” and claimed the aircraft’s flight plans were only filed after the planes were already in the air.
Despite repeated questions, officials on both sides have offered no public explanation for the stopover. Australia’s Defence Department referred enquiries to the United States. The US Embassy in Canberra and the Pentagon did not respond. A spokesperson for Defence Minister Richard Marles also declined to comment, though Marles said last year there was “a high degree of transparency in relation to the United States presence in Australia”.
The P-8A is primarily used for surveillance and reconnaissance but can also be fitted to carry torpedoes or Harpoon anti-ship missiles, adding to speculation about why the aircraft travelled to Perth at this moment.
US military aircraft have long operated in and around Australia under established defence cooperation arrangements. Since fighting with Iran escalated last week, the Albanese government has maintained Australia will not participate in military operations. However, the joint facility at Pine Gap near Alice Springs continues to provide key support functions linked to US operations.
The stopover also comes amid heightened scrutiny of the role of Diego Garcia in the conflict. President Donald Trump has criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for taking “far too long” to allow US forces to use Diego Garcia or other UK airbases for strikes against Iran, pointing to legal concerns around the action.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge criticised the secrecy surrounding the flight, arguing the public deserves clarity about Australia’s involvement and support.
“We know that the US and Israel are using these P-8As as part of the bombing campaign in Iran.”
“The Albanese Government needs to be clear about what support it is offering the US in its war on Iran. Labor’s claim that we are not offering support is plainly not true. US reconnaissance jets don’t swing by Western Australia for a joy ride, they come here for a reason.”
Shoebridge also claimed the aircraft have played a significant role in US operations around the Strait of Hormuz and said they are “a key part of the broader war”.
“US aircraft have been coming to Australia for decades, stationed here or refuelling, but that is the problem. Our tied-at-the-hip relationship with the US and open-door policy with the US military means they feel perfectly comfortable bombing Iran, then flying to Australia and back.”
The issue arrives as the US military footprint in Western Australia is expected to expand sharply under AUKUS. From next year, more than 1,000 Americans are expected to be based near HMAS Stirling to support visiting nuclear-powered submarines.
Under the planned Submarine Rotational Force-West, up to four US Virginia-class submarines and one British Astute-class submarine are expected to rotate through Stirling, while the Henderson shipyard is being upgraded to handle maintenance and support tasks.
Last year, defence officials told a parliamentary committee that US submarines based in Western Australia could eventually carry nuclear weapons and that the Commonwealth would not object.
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