Television Interview, Sky News

SUBJECTS: Ghost Bat Aircraft; Exercise Pitch Black; Training Accidents; Energy Prices; Cost of Living Relief.

PETER STEFANOVIC, HOST Joining us live now, the Assistance Defence Minister. The Assistant Defence Minister, I should say. Matt Thistlethwaite. Good to see you, Matt. So, Ghost Bats. They were said to be killer drones. Now they'll just surveil. So, what happened? 

MATT THISTLETHWAITE, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR DEFENCE: G'day, Pete. Well, I visited the Ghost Bat facility in Melbourne. It's a partnership between the Royal Australian Air Force and Boeing, and it's a wonderful new capability that's being developed right here in Australia and the Albanese Government's invested $400 million dollars into the project, and it's got great export potential for Australia. So, it's a really important part of the reconnaissance and surveillance program that's being developed by the Albanese Government, with huge export potential for Australia.

STEFANOVIC: Just not gonna be armed, though? 

ASSISTANT MINISTER: Well, there's still the option to arm it as far as I'm aware. When I was at the facility in Melbourne, the people that were working on the program from Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force did indicate that the program has the capability in the future to be an armed and a combat drone, if you like, and those decisions will be made in the future. 

STEFANOVIC: So, it hasn't been shelved yet, is that what you're saying? 

ASSISTANT MINISTER: As far as I'm aware, it's still being worked through. And it's a really important part of the innovation and the capability that's being developed right here in Australia. 

STEFANOVIC: Okay. Still in defence Exercise Pitch Black, that's about to get underway. That's why you are in the top end. It's the biggest international air combat training activity. But how do you plan against tragic accidents that have happened in the past? 

ASSISTANT MINISTER: Yeah, that's a good question. Peter. I'm up here for Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin. There's four and a half thousand troops participating from 20 nations. Six of those nations are participating for the first time. And last night I got the opportunity with the local member, Luke Gosling, to go out to the RAAF Base, and we saw the combat aircraft taking off on their night mission, and that involved Australian F-35s and combat aircraft from about six or seven different nations. And then we were able to observe the communications that go on in the control room with those combat aircraft. And I can tell you that it takes 10 hours to plan one of those missions that goes for about an hour in the sky. And it was an awesome display of not only Australia's combat firepower, but also our international partners. And the interoperability that's being developed here is priceless. 

STEFANOVIC: You can't guarantee, though, can you, those tragic accidents that have, guarantee against tragic accidents that have happened in the past when it comes to these training exercises. 

ASSISTANT MINISTER: Yeah, well, unfortunately, we had an accident last year with Talisman Sabre, but we learned from those lessons, from those incidents. And I can tell you that having seen yesterday the planning that goes into these missions prior to them flying and the detailed support that they're given and the detailed assurances around altitudes that they fly at, the configurations that they fly in, and importantly, the communication that goes on between the aircraft. That's a really important part of the F-35 program, that interoperability and that ability for the aircraft to communicate with each other. 

STEFANOVIC: Okay. Just. Yeah. Hope it all goes well. Obviously, an important exercise. Just a final one here before we go, Matt, on energy. Increased energy prices are on the way again. AEMO says this morning, surprise, surprise, the little supply of renewables aren't doing enough. So, was winter not planned for well enough here? 

ASSISTANT MINISTER: Well, that report highlights that importantly energy prices are related to demand. And you see a spike in demand in the colder months in Australia, particularly in the south and that’s related to… 

STEFANOVIC: [interjecting] Which leads to higher bills.

ASSISTANT MINISTER: Well, it does. It can lead to increases in prices because demand has spiked. But that's why the Government has put in place measures, including a $300 energy rebate, to take some of that pressure off. But it's importantly, Pete, it’s trying to provide that support to households and small businesses without fuelling the fire of inflation. So, it's a delicate balance, but we think we've got it right and it's based on the Treasury advice that we got. 

STEFANOVIC: Ok, that's Matt Thistlethwaite coming to us live from Darwin there ahead of that exercise. 

ENDS