Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga has joined international efforts to enforce United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea. This is the sixth time Australia has deployed a warship on Operation Argos, Australia’s commitment to the enforcement of these sanctions, since it began in 2018. Operation Argos is an important part of Australia’s efforts to support nuclear non-proliferation and the ongoing stability and security of the Indo-Pacific. Warramunga will monitor and deter North Korea’s illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods.
Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Greg Bilton said the deployment will add weight to Australia’s economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea. “Enforcing UN sanctions supports the international community’s goal of the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea,” Bilton said. “Australia is committed to the stability and security of our region and will continue to enforce sanctions until North Korea takes concrete steps towards denuclearisation.”
Warramunga will contribute to a multinational force including Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The ship is the second to deploy on Operation Argos this year, following the deployment of HMAS Ballarat in May 2021. Royal Australian Air Force P-8A maritime patrol aircraft have contributed to Operation Argos on nine occasions, most recently in August 2021. HMAS Warramunga is currently conducting a deployment to Southeast and Northeast Asia, which includes several navy-to-navy engagements with partner nations across the region.
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