- Experts concerned Russian bombers spied on important Australian intelligence
- More than 100 Russian troops were deployed to Indonesia for five day stint
- Two nucelear-capable bombers flew over ocean for more than eight hours
- The RAAF Base Darwin was put on heightened alert during the event
An Australian military base has been on high alert after fears Russian bombers could target the coast.
Experts also have concerns the Russians may have been spying on important intelligence.
RAAF Base Darwin was put on heightened alert early December while the Russian military performed training exercises near Australia, ABC News reported.
RAAF Base Darwin was put on heightened alert early December while the Russian military performed training exercises near Australia (stock image of RAAF Base Darwin)
Experts also have concerns the Russians may have been spying on important intelligence when they flew their two nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers over the ocean (stock image)
More than 100 Russian troops were deployed in Indonesia while two nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers flew over the South Pacific Ocean for more than eight hours.
The five day stint involved two Russian Illyushin-76 transporters which landed in Indonesia on December 4.
There was a ‘brief period of increased readiness’ along with fears the bombers may have been collecting valuable information, the publication reported.
Executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute Peter Jennings said it was a significant step for Moscow to send planes ‘this far down south’.
‘I’m sure there would have been concerns about Russian intelligence gathering because they wouldn’t have come this far south without wanting to look at the one significant [United States] allied presence in this part of the world,’ Mr Jennings told the ABC.
The alert comes as a report from the Australian National Audit Office showed Australia spent more than $10 billion on weapons from America in the past four years, according to Nine News.
About $5 billion was spent on engineering, research, IT, broadcasting and telecommunications.
It was a ‘brief period of increased readiness’ for the Australian Defence Force (stock image)
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