Members from Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 36 Squadron joined international forces for Operation Boxtop to resupply bases in the Arctic – including the northernmost base in the world.
The operation is a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 8 Wing-led activity held twice yearly, delivering essential fuel and supplies to the Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert, at the north-east tip of Ellesmere island.
CFS Alert is the most northern permanently inhabited place in the world, located 817 kilometres from the North Pole.
Participating in the Canadian Fall (Australian Spring) iteration on-board RCAF’s CC-177 Globemaster III with members from 429 Transport Squadron Trenton, the RAAF members formed a mixed crew of partner nations alongside the United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF).
The crew also travelled to Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, and Eureka, on Ellesmere Island.
RAAF C-17A pilot Flight Lieutenant Luke Duffy said it was an invaluable experience training with RCAF, USAF and RAF counterparts.
“There were three crews completing 24-hour operations and we were part of the operational day crew,” Flight Lieutenant Duffy said.
“As the day crew, we airlifted to CFS Alert 68 per cent of the total cargo and 83 per cent of the total fuel for the operation, equating to approximately 232,466 kilograms of cargo and 120,000 litres of fuel.
“Working together as an integrated crew allowed us to learn collaboratively and further refine our own skill sets, to create a more capable air mobility asset.”
Training alongside allies in extreme weather conditions not only enhances interoperability, it also contributes to the preservation and security of these remote regions.
“We learnt some vital lessons about cold weather take-off and landing performance, cold weather maintenance activities, and forward operating base considerations in an Arctic environment,” Flight Lieutenant Duffy said.
“Developing this capability will assist RAAF in providing contingencies for Antarctic operations such as Operation Southern Discovery.”
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