Operation INDONESIA ASSIST 18
In October 2018, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was deployed to Indonesia in support of a Whole of Australian Government (WoAG) operation to provide humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) to the Government of Indonesia (GoIND) following the earthquake and tsunami on 28 September which affected a number of areas in Central Sulawesi. According to GoIND the natural disaster resulted in over 2000 fatalities, 800 missing persons and 70,000 displaced persons.
During the operation the RAAF were based in Balikpapan and worked with the TNI-AU to enable the successful coordinated air lift of international and domestic HADR aid to Palu Airport, Sulawesi via RAAF C-130J Hercules aircraft.
In addition to the airlift of aid, the RAAF also assisted with the movement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in and out of Palu. RAAF personnel displayed compassion and care towards the IDPs, many who were children to ensure their welfare was maintained during flights. The local populations in Balikpapan and Palu were very appreciative of Australia’s support, and RAAF personnel were overwhelmed by the friendly reception by the locals in both Palu and Balikpapan.
Operation Indonesia Assist 2018 was a unique opportunity for RAAF and TNI-AU to work closely together to assist the people of Central Sulawesi in a difficult time. Ongoing bi-lateral training and exercising in recent years enabled the RAAF and TNI-AU to work together seamlessly, under arduous conditions, to bring the much needed humanitarian aid to the people of Palu. This cooperation has only strengthened our already close bi-lateral relationship between our two Air Forces, at both the people-to-people and strategic levels. |