Royal Australian Air Force’s 37 Squadron visited Bangladesh Air Force Bangabandhu Air Base, just over 9000 kilometres from RAAF Base Richmond.
The C-130J maintenance personnel from both nations shared knowledge and skills through workshops, a valuable way of expanding capability and ongoing cooperation.
The teams connected over their shared experiences working on the aircraft and walked away having formed new friendships.
Bangladesh’s first Australian Defence Attaché Lieutenant Colonel John Dempsey was proud to see the significant event come together.
“It was great to see the Indo-Pacific Endeavour contingent rallied around both aircraft, joined by the Bangladesh Air Force,” Lieutenant Colonel Dempsey said.
“The C-130J Hercules workshops were immediately valuable and have provided further opportunities between our two countries into the future.”
ADF personnel, led by Major General David Thomae, were honoured to join Bangladesh Air Force Air Vice Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and his personnel at Bangabandhu Air Base.
“Indo-Pacific Endeavour is the ADF’s premier regional engagement activity and as part of that we have brought a C-130J Hercules to work with the Bangladesh Air Force as well as the Australian Army women’s cricket team, who have been doing great things with the Bangladesh in sport,” Major General Thomae said.
“It has been a successful visit and we have been grateful for the hospitality of the Bangladeshi people.”
Following two years affected by COVID-19, the ADF is happy to see IPE return to full scale this year, engaging with a record 14 countries by air and sea.
IPE 22 includes five ships, 11 helicopters and nearly 1800 personnel; returning to Australia in mid-December.
More information about IPE is available at https://www.defence.gov.au/operations/indo-pacific-endeavour.
image C-130J Hercules aircrew from the Bangladesh Air Force and the Royal Australian Air Force in front of their respective aircraft at BAF Base Bangabandhu, Dhaka during Indo-Pacific Endeavour. Photo: Sergeant David Said
