• The deployment: Australia's RAAF flew its first overseas mission with the MC-55A Peregrine electronic warfare aircraft, operating out of Clark Air Base in the Philippines with seven missions between 30 July and 7 August, several venturing into the South China Sea with transponders switched off.

  • The likely targets: Flight tracking suggests interest in disputed features like the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, where China maintains a heavy military presence including artificial islands, runways, and air defences, amid competing claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

  • The capability shift: The MC-55, based on a modified Gulfstream G550 with EW, SIGINT, and ISR sensors, signals Australia moving beyond reliance on the P-8A Poseidon toward a dedicated electronic intelligence platform, sharpening its picture of Chinese radar, communications, and naval activity.