Australia Sends Surveillance Plane, Weapons to UAE

0:00In Sydney, it's March 9, and here's what is going on. Australia is sending a surveillance plane, weapons, and 85 troops to the United Arab Emirates to help defend against Iranian strikes. Prime Minister Anthony Alpinese announced the move on Tuesday after a direct request from the UAE. The focus is protecting airspace over the Gulf and safeguarding around 24,000 Australians living there. The E-7A Wedgetail Aircraft will provide long-range reconnaissance for an initial four weeks. It departs today and should be operational by the end of the week. Defense Minister Richard Marles noted it's one of the most advanced platforms Australia uses, similar to one sent to support Ukraine from Poland. This comes amid Australia's worst consular crisis ever, with Dubai Airport repeatedly hit by missiles and drones. More than 27,000 flights have been canceled since February 28, wiping out 4.4 million seats. Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the attacks on 12 neighboring countries unprecedented.

1:02So far, crisis teams have helped more than 2,600 Australians return home out of 11,000 who wanted to leave. Officials urge everyone offered a flight to take it, as challenges persist. Alpinese stressed Australia is not taking offensive action or sending ground troops to Iran. The deployment purely defends the UAE and its own citizens as the conflict escalates. The Daily News Now is made possible with support from our sponsor. A pillow that sounds as good as it feels, built for listening and bed, S-O-L-I-SOL-Pillo.com