By Matthew Knott
A flotilla of Chinese navy ships has again entered Australia’s exclusive economic zone, as defence and aviation experts expressed alarm that air safety authorities only learnt about the ships conducting live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea 30 minutes after they began thanks to a midair alert by a Virgin Australia pilot.
Airservices Australia officials revealed that 49 commercial flights were forced to divert their plans because of the surprise Chinese military drills on Friday, and that they first thought the Virgin pilot tip off may have been a hoax.
With Defence officials to be grilled about the issue on Wednesday, the revelations have drawn accusations of a serious communications breakdown between government agencies and the Australian Defence Force (ADF), as well as claims the Albanese government downplayed the incident to promote the narrative it has stabilised relations with China.
A Qantas flight from Sydney to Queenstown was already in the air when it got the message to divert to avoid a live-firing exercise. Credit: Matthew Absalom-Wong
The ADF revealed that, after two weeks prowling the waters near Australia, the Chinese flotilla re-entered Australia’s exclusive economic zone in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and had been observed 160 nautical miles (296 kilometres) east of Hobart.
“Australia expects all militaries operating in the region to engage transparently, maintain the highest standards of safety and professionalism, and we encourage all states to maintain open communication to ensure their actions support regional security and stability,” the ADF said.
“We respect the right of all states under international law to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in international waters and airspace, just as we expect others to respect our right to do the same.”
The three Chinese People’s Liberation Army vessels – a Jiangkai-class frigate, a cruiser and a replenishment vessel – have worked their way down the east coast before conducting drills in the waters between Australia and New Zealand.
Airservices Australia’s chief executive Rob Sharp told estimates his organisation only found out the Chinese were planning a live-firing exercise at 9.58am on Friday, half an hour after it began.
“It was, in fact, Virgin Australia advising that a foreign warship was broadcasting that they were conducting live firing 300 nautical miles east of our coast,” Sharp said. “That was how we first found out about the issue.”
Deputy chief executive Peter Curran said the drill was conducted at a “relatively busy time of the day”, forcing 49 aircraft to change their flight paths, including some that were already in the air.
Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie said: “There are two realities: either the Prime Minister and his Deputy are not across their national security brief, or they have been dishonest with the Australian people. Which is it?”
A Chinese army-navy Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang was spotted 150 nautical miles off the coast of Sydney.Credit: ADF
Former senior defence official Michael Shoebridge said he was “astounded” that the ADF was either in the dark about the Chinese exercise until after it began or had failed to alert air safety authorities.
“This looks like an abject failure of the government’s promise to comprehensively monitor these extremely capable Chinese warships as well as a failure of inter-agency, inter-departmental communication,” he said.
“And that has been compounded by false assurances from the Prime Minister down. As an air travelling Australian I am not filled with confidence about our nation’s surveillance and monitoring abilities.”
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “Australian Defence were certainly aware and I’ve spoken with the chief of the defence force about what has occurred.
“Australia has had frigates both monitoring by sea and by air ... these Chinese vessels.”
Industry Minister Ed Husic said that “the biggest thing that we have been concerned about is the lack of notice around live fire”, telling the ABC that Australia typically provides 12 to 24 hours notice of such exercises.
“There’s a good reason for it, it’s a safety reason,” he said.
Aviation expert Keith Tonkin, a former Qantas and Royal Australian Air Force pilot, said the Chinese navy should have used a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to warn airlines that they would be conducting a live-firing exercise in the area, an estimated 640 kilometres from the NSW South Coast in international waters.
“To have something like this popping up during the middle of a flight is not ideal,” he said, adding the situation could become dangerous depending on the type of firing activity.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said: “On face value it is staggering that Australia’s first line of surveillance against potential aggressors appears to be commercial pilots and their confrères in Airservices Australia.
“Even more astonishing is the speed at which our Prime Minister sought to explain away Chinese navy action as being ‘in accordance with practice’.
“It is clear that the Chinese navy has no intention of acting according to international practice, which requires notice be given precisely so appropriate safety protocols can be enacted in a timely manner.”
Greens defence spokesman David Shoebridge told the ABC the Chinese navy had behaved in a “reckless and provocative” way, saying it was not the behaviour of a friendly nation.
Defence officials on Friday told reporters they believed around three flights had been affected by the exercise.
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