The Royal Australian Air Force has flown its C-27J Spartan on its first deployment to the Cook Islands under Operation Solania, supporting a multinational maritime surveillance mission aimed at detecting and deterring illegal fishing across the Pacific.
The operation also covered Tonga and involved the Royal New Zealand Air Force alongside the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency’s Operation Tui Moana. During the surveillance flights, Australian Defence Force personnel identified 12 vessels of interest near the Cook Islands and Tonga, while air riders from the Ministry of Marine Resources were carried on board to help build local capability.
The mission places the C-27J in a regional surveillance role beyond its traditional transport duties and reflects continued Australian maritime security cooperation in the Pacific. The official update did not give a separate earlier event date, making 9 June 2026 the relevant publication date for the release.