Defence Support to Operation Bring Them Home

• Defence continues to support Operation Bring Them Home, the AFP led Whole of Government response to the tragic loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine.
• As announced by Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and the Prime Minister's Special Envoy, Air Chief Marshal Houston (Ret'd) on 6 August,the initial phase of the police mission to recover remains by the MH17 crash site has now concluded.
• Defence support to the Dutch-led police-led International Mission for the Protection of the Investigation into the MH17 disaster has included:
• Two RAAF C-17A Globemaster aircraft with planning and support staff operating from Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
• Defence planning and liaison staff working with their Dutch and Malaysian partners in The Hague.
• Liaison, communication and support staff that have supported the international mission in Ukraine.
• Defence also deployed a strategic Aero-Medical Evacuation team and surgical capability and pre-positioned appropriate force elements in Europe to support Operation Bring Them Home if required.
• Additional RAAF C-17A Globemaster and KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft have moved personnel and equipment to the Netherlands from Australia.