Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Arunta is supporting the deterrence and monitoring of illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods bound for North Korea in support of the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) Operation ARGOS.
Australia is committed to enforcing United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on North Korea through this operation, until North Korea takes concrete steps towards denuclearisation.
Deputy Chief of Joint Operations, Air Vice-Marshal Michael Kitcher, reinforced the need for the ADF to support this important interdiction effort with partner nations.
"Alongside Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, who all conduct national operations in support of the UN in a similar manner to Australia, we are demonstrating our commitment to enforcing UNSC sanctions against North Korea," Air Vice-Marshal Kitcher said.
"Australia is committed to upholding UNSC resolutions on North Korea in support of the international community's goal of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation.
"This will mark the eighth time an Australian warship takes part in Operation ARGOS."
Since 2018, Australia has also deployed maritime patrol aircraft on ten occasions.
Information about Operation ARGOS is available at https://www.defence.gov.au/operations/argos
