3 June 2025
A contingent of 18 personnel departed Australia on a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft flown by an all-female crew headed to the Pacific under Operation Solania.
The four-woman C-27J Spartan crew from 35 Squadron, RAAF Base Amberley, might be the first all-female team to support Operation Solania in Tonga and Fiji, working alongside Pacific partners.
The detachment was commanded by Squadron Leader James Champness, also from 35 Squadron.
“Being able to provide a resource that helps our Pacific partners monitor and protect their sovereign waters is a vital part of our role,” Squadron Leader Champness said.
“The Spartan gives us the flexibility to support our partners quickly and effectively across large areas of ocean.”
Led by Flight Lieutenant Kathrine Mitchell and Flying Officer Ashlee Staneke, supported by loadmasters Corporal Amanda Wintle and Corporal Monique Jeynes, the Spartan crew conducted aerial surveillance missions across Pacific Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
'The Spartan gives us the flexibility to support our partners quickly and effectively across large areas of ocean.'
The loadmasters’ role included photographing suspected illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels, then liaising with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) to strengthen regional policing efforts.
Flight Lieutenant Mitchell said the experience of flying alongside an all-female crew supporting Pacific island nations made the mission especially meaningful.
“It’s a privilege to be part of a capable and committed team making a real impact in our region," she said.
"Doing this as an all-woman crew is a milestone for us and for the squadron.”
Operating as part of broader Defence support to ongoing regional security, the contingent was integrated into the FFA-led Operation Tui Moana 2025, a two-week multinational operation targeting illegal fishing in members’ EEZs.
The contingent included nine maintenance crew, one logistics officer, a member from 1 Combat Communications Squadron and two members from 1st Joint Public Affairs Unit.
Australia remains committed to working with Pacific partners against the threat to territorial sovereignty and economic development caused by IUU fishing and transnational crime.
