Defence says the incident, on April 8, occurred when a counter-measure flare on an AP-3C Orion surveillance aircraft, used to decoy attacking missiles, went off inadvertently.
Defence described the incident as the irregular release of one of the aircraft's counter-measure flares due to a systems malfunction.
"The crew ceased their assigned mission and safely landed the aircraft at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates," Defence said in a statement.
"The aircraft was assessed on landing, indicating damage to the airframe that required a technical and air safety investigation, which is now underway."
The AP-3C Electronic Warfare Self Protection program saw the integration of the ALR-47 Counter Measures Dispensing System with the AAR 60 Missile Approach Warning Systems.
Looks like one wasn't talking to the other.
It is worth noting that as lead ISR service for the ADF, the RAAF has been operating AP-3Cs and now Heron MALE UAS in the MEAO, providing real-time ISR data to ADF and Coalition commanders on the ground.
This is additional to the ISTAR operations in Afghanistan supported at the fireteam level by the Army's Skylark 1, digitised and updated, and by ScanEagle at the battalion/company level.