FOI - US Global Hawk Drone @ Avalon
A$0
of $144 targetyrs ago
Closed on 3rd Apr 2015 at 1:51AM.
On the evening of 21st February, an RQ-4 Global Hawk drone piloted remotely by the US Air Force landed at Melbourne's Avalon Airport ahead of the Australian International Airshow 2015.
“It is the first time a military unmanned aerial system has been in civil airspace with a civil air traffic control service in Australia, and the first time a military UAS has landed at a civil airport.”
- RAAF Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown
The news of a US military drone flying in coordination with Australian civil air traffic control, and landing at an Australian civil airport for the first time, comes as the news breaks that RAAF pilots are in the US training to fly MQ-9 Reaper drones. ( http://www.defense-unmanned.com/article/1699/raaf-... )
It also comes in the context that "The United States flew highly classified Global Hawk spy drone missions from the Royal Australian Air Force base at Edinburgh in South Australia from late 2001 until at least 2006." ( http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-03/revealed-us-... )
I filed a FOI request (first with CASA, who passed it on to Defence) for the Risk Assessment for the US Global Hawk landing at Avalon in February 2015.
Department of Defence have identified 93 pages which may fit the request.
“It is the first time a military unmanned aerial system has been in civil airspace with a civil air traffic control service in Australia, and the first time a military UAS has landed at a civil airport.”
- RAAF Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown
The news of a US military drone flying in coordination with Australian civil air traffic control, and landing at an Australian civil airport for the first time, comes as the news breaks that RAAF pilots are in the US training to fly MQ-9 Reaper drones. ( http://www.defense-unmanned.com/article/1699/raaf-... )
It also comes in the context that "The United States flew highly classified Global Hawk spy drone missions from the Royal Australian Air Force base at Edinburgh in South Australia from late 2001 until at least 2006." ( http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-03/revealed-us-... )
I filed a FOI request (first with CASA, who passed it on to Defence) for the Risk Assessment for the US Global Hawk landing at Avalon in February 2015.
Department of Defence have identified 93 pages which may fit the request.
How The Funds Will Be Used
If raised, the $144 will pay Dept Defence to process the FOI request. Dept Defence may or may not release or redact the documents.
Here are all my emails with CASA and Dept Defence:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/risk_assessment_for_global_hawk
Here are all my emails with CASA and Dept Defence:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/risk_assessment_for_global_hawk
The Challenges
Dept Defence may decide not to release the documents, or they may be heavily redacted.
Satisfaction
The only reward I am able to offer is the satisfaction of assisting with this FOI. Results of the FOI will be publicly viewable at: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/risk_assessment_for_global_hawk
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Est. delivery is May 15