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Footage released by Australia shows its maritime patrol aircraft monitoring “vessels of interest” during a recent mission to enforce United Nations sanctions on North Korea. Newsweek has contacted the North Korean Embassy in Beijing for comment via email. Why It Matters The U.N. Security Council has imposed sanctions on North Korea, seeking to increase the economic cost Pyongyang pays for continuing its nuclear and missile development. The sanctions limit North Korea’s imports of refined petroleum and crude oil, as well as its exports of coal. The Australian military is conducting an active mission, code-named Operation Argos, to monitor illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods. In addition to Australia, other United States allies, including Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, have contributed to sanctions against North Korea by deploying aircraft and vessels to counter the country’s illicit activities at sea. What To Know Footage released by Australia’s Department of Defense shows a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A maritime patrol aircraft engaging “vessels of interest” in undisclosed, “heavily trafficked waters of the Indo-Pacific” during Operation Argos this month. According to audio recorded in the footage, the Australian military crew, which said the aircraft was conducting routine maritime surveillance via radio, could be heard asking the vessels for their port destinations and the types of cargo they were carrying. A Royal Australian Air Force P-8A maritime patrol aircraft monitors two vessels in undisclosed waters, October 2025. In a press release on Wednesday, Australia’s Department of Defense said the aircraft, deployed at Kadena Air Base on Japan‘s Okinawa Island in mid-October, used radars and sensors to monitor suspected illicit ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods. Australian Flight Lieutenant Jesse Versteegen said the crew would ask ships to confirm their identity, last and next ports, operators and types of cargo, particularly vessels spotted alongside each other, a situation he described as “certainly looks suspicious.” The aircraft flew multiple five- to six-hour missions to collect data for the Enforcement Coordination Cell, which coordinates multinational efforts to prevent North Korea from evading sanctions, and for partner nations to analyze the data and potentially act on it. It was also revealed that the Australian aircraft often operated near “foreign military activity.” It was not immediately clear whether this referred to China, as a Canadian aircraft encountered Chinese fighter jets over the East China Sea earlier this month. The Canadian CP-140 maritime patrol aircraft was deployed at Kadena Air Base from mid-September to mid-October to support sanctions on North Korea. The interceptions occurred on multiple occasions and within international airspace, CBS News reported. The Australian military said its aircraft operated under “strict aviation protocols.” A Royal Australian Air Force P-8A maritime patrol aircraft deploys at Kadena Air Base in Japan on October 14, 2025. What People Are Saying Australia’s Department of Defense said in a press release on Wednesday: “Together with partner nations, the [Australian Defense Force] maintained an unbroken watch over the region, ensuring continuous surveillance and enforcement from the air. This deployment marks Australia’s 16th aerial contribution to Operation Argos, continuing the nation’s steady commitment to enforcing United Nations sanctions first imposed in 2006.” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release on October 3: “As Japan has also been conducting information gathering activities for vessels suspected of violating the [United Nations Security Council resolutions], Japan works closely with relevant countries and international organizations, including Australia.” What Happens Next It remains to be seen how effective sanctions are at hindering North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, as Pyongyang maintains close partnerships with Russia and China, two of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
