Iran conflict 2026: Australia announces Wedgetail deployment in the Gulf

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will deploy a Boeing E-7A Wedgetail in the Gulf region for weeks, with the aircraft departing Australia on 10 March 2026. (LACW Nell Bradbury/Commonwealth of Australia)

The Australian government is deploying a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Middle East to help improve the detection of Iranian missiles and loitering munitions being launched against Gulf countries.

The deployment is intended to help “the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf nations to defend themselves” from Iranian attacks, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said in a joint statement on 10 March.

Albanese added that Australia is not a “protagonist” in the conflict. Iran has conducted attacks against 12 countries in the region employing missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or loitering munitions. “This growing wave of dangerous and destabilising attacks from Iran puts civilian lives at risk, including Australian lives,” the statement said.

The deployment is in response to requests and will “help protect and defend Australians and other civilians”, the statement added.

Persistent attacks

As of 4 March, Iran had launched 500 missiles and 2,000 UAVs at targets in the region, according to the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, in a video briefing that day.

By 9 March, the UAE Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it alone had faced 1,400 Iranian UAVs/loitering munitions, eight cruise missiles, and 253 ballistic missiles in total. Out of this, 81 UAVs could not be intercepted and impacted on land, as did two ballistic missiles (another 18 ballistic missiles hit the sea).