Fed: RAAF aircraft damaged in incident over Afghanistan

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2010
Fed: RAAF aircraft damaged in incident over Afghanistan

CANBERRA, April 22 AAP - An RAAF aircraft damaged in the air over southern Afghanistan
managed to return safely to base earlier this month.

Defence says the incident, on April 8, occurred when a countermeasure flare on a AP-3C
Orion surveillance aircraft, used to decoy attacking missiles, went off inadvertently.

Defence described the incident as the irregular release of one of the aircraft's counter-measure
flares due to a systems malfunction.

"The crew ceased their assigned mission and safely landed the aircraft at Al Minhad
Air Base in the United Arab Emirates," defence said in a statement.

The aircraft was assessed on landing, indicating damage to the airframe that required
a technical and air safety investigation, which is now underway."

Australia operates two AP-3C aircraft from Al Minhad Air Base.

They fly extended surveillance missions over the Persian Gulf and also over Afghanistan
in support of coalition ground operations.

AAP mb/rl/it

KEYWORD: AFGHAN AUST

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