The aircraft came here on August 22 and left Palau on August 25.
While in Palau, the patrol aircraft conducted a maritime surveillance on the waters for three days.Lt. Commander Kimbal Dunsmore, Palau’s Maritime Surveillance Adviser said that during the three days surveillance they spotted a total of 70 fishing boats.Dunsmore said some of the fishing vessels are Indonesian, Philippine, Taiwanese and Japanese vessels.The crew members took pictures of the vessels and turned it over to Bureau of Marine Law Enforcement Office for proper disposition.There were 19 crew members that came headed by Squadron Leader Darren Lines, Officer-In-Charge of Surveillance Lt. Thomas Tutii and Lt. Ian Tervet, FFA Observer Coordinator.The aircraft conducted a maritime surveillance for eight hours.Dunsmore said Orion comes to Palau regularly to assist local patrol officers in maritime surveillance.Orion’s last visit to Palau was in May this year.AP-3C Orion is capable of maritime surveillance, anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, naval fleet support and search and survivor supply.It is also responsible for long-range surveillance missions within Australia’s EEZ and throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
