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Australia was a member of the international coalition which contributed military forces to the 1991
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
, also known as
Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
. More than 1,800
Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
(ADF) personnel were deployed to the Persian Gulf from August 1990 to September 1991, while contingents from the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
circulated through the region in support of the
sanctions against Iraq The sanctions against Iraq were a comprehensive financial and trade embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Iraq. They began August 6, 1990, four days after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, stayed largely in force until May 22, ...
until November 2001. In August 1990, two
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
s HMAS ''Adelaide'' and HMAS ''Darwin'' and the
replenishment ship A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers. The ...
HMAS ''Success'' left for the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
. HMAS ''Success'' had no air defences, so the Army 16th Air Defence Regiment was embarked. On 3 December 1990, HMAS ''Brisbane'' and HMAS ''Sydney'' (IV) relieved HMAS ''Adelaide'' and HMAS ''Darwin''. On 26 January 1991, HMAS ''Westralia'' replaced HMAS ''Success''. A Navy clearance diving team was also deployed for
explosive ordnance disposal Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the militar ...
and demolition tasks. Australian ships were in danger of
sea mines A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ve ...
and possible air attacks. In a number of recorded incidents, HMAS ''Brisbane'' encountered free floating mines, on one occasion narrowly avoiding a collision. Both HMA Ships ''Brisbane'' and ''Sydney'' encountered significant air threat warnings from
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
throughout the initial period of the commencement of the Desert Storm Campaign. The detection of land based
Silkworm The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically imp ...
anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A good ...
s from Iran throughout the campaign also added to the challenges for both crews as well as the multi-national Naval Forces. Although Australia's contribution was primarily naval, a small contingent of Australian service personnel were seconded to British and United States ground troops. However, the government's position was not to deploy ground troops with "no boots in the sand". The
Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
deployed a unit of photo interpreters who were based in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. Four medical teams were also deployed. At the end of Desert Storm, 75 ADF personnel were deployed to Northern Iraq to assist in the provision of
humanitarian aid Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and ...
to the
Kurds ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
living in the UN-declared exclusion zone. Whilst there were no casualties of ADF personnel during the conflict, a significant number of Australian Gulf War veterans appear to continue to suffer from Gulf War illness. Overall, Australian forces never officially engaged in open combat with hostile forces.


Overview

Australia's contribution to the 1991 Gulf War centred on a Naval Task Group which formed part of the multi-national fleet in the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
and
Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ar, خليج عمان ''khalīj ʿumān''; fa, دریای عمان ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ar, خلیج مکران ''khalīj makrān''; fa, دریای مکرا ...
, under Operation Damask. In addition, medical teams were deployed aboard a US
hospital ship A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. ...
and a navy Clearance diving team took part in de-mining Kuwait's port facilities at the end of the war. Following the end of the war Australia deployed a medical unit on
Operation Habitat The 1991 uprisings in Iraq were a series of anti-governmental intifada (rebellions) in Southern and Northern Iraq during the aftermath of the Gulf War in March–April 1991. On 16 May 1991, 75 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were deploye ...
to northern Iraq as part of
Operation Provide Comfort Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern ...
. While there were proposals to deploy other units (including an apparent US request for RF-111 reconnaissance aircraft) these proposals came to nothing and no
Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
or
Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
combat units were deployed. The Australian
Special Air Service Regiment The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins". The reg ...
(SASR) did not take part in the war. In 1993, a book was published on a British SAS patrol
Bravo Two Zero Bravo Two Zero was the call sign of an eight-man British Army Special Air Service (SAS) patrol, deployed into Iraq during the First Gulf War in January 1991. According to Chris Ryan's account, the patrol was given the task of gathering intelli ...
with an Australian member using the pseudonym of Stan. Subsequent media reports stated that SASR soldiers on exchange took part in the war, however, in 2005 it was disclosed that Stan was a former Army Reserve Commando who had joined the British Army. As the SASR had long established exchange programmes, a soldier may have served with British or United States special forces units. The total number of personnel deployed between August 1990 and September 1991 was 1,800. In the aftermath of the conflict, Royal Australian Navy warships continued to be deployed to the Persian Gulf periodically to enforce sanctions against Iraq until the
2003 Invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
.


Royal Australian Navy

All Royal Australian Navy ships were coordinated from the Maritime Headquarters (MHQ) in the
Garden Island Naval Precinct The Garden Island Naval Precinct is a heritage-listed naval base and defence precinct located at Cowper Wharf Roadway in the inner eastern Sydney neighbourhood of Garden Island in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, ...
in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. Australia's naval contribution to the 1991 Gulf War and the following period of sanctions manifested in ten incarnations of Operation Damask, that spanned from September 1990 until November 2001. Operation Damask I (6 September 1990 – 3 December 1990) Task Group 627.4 * HMAS ''Adelaide'' **1
S-70B-2 Seahawk The Sikorsky S-70 is an American medium transport/utility helicopter family manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It was developed for the United States Army in the 1970s, winning a competition to be designated the UH-60 Black Hawk and spawning a ...
, SITU and 1 AS-350BA Squirrel, 723 Squadron * HMAS ''Darwin'' **1 S-70B-2 Seahawk, SITU and 1 AS-350BA Squirrel, 723 Squadron * HMAS ''Success'' (6 September 1990 – 25 January 1991) **Detachment, 111 Battery (Light), 16th Air Defence Regiment **1 AS-350BA Squirrel, 723 Squadron The first ships to leave port were ''Adelaide'' and ''Darwin'' on 13 August. The two ships embarked their complement of
Fleet Air Arm (RAN) The Fleet Air Arm (FAA), known formerly as the Australian Navy Aviation Group, is the division of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) responsible for the operation of aircraft. The FAA was founded in 1947 following the purchase of two aircraft carri ...
Seahawk and Squirrel helicopters on 14 August. Task Group 627.4 was formed when the ''Success'' rendezvoused with ''Darwin'' and ''Adelaide'' on 15 August, with the commander of the task group being embarked on ''Success''. Upon formation of the group, and during the transit towards
HMAS Stirling HMAS ''Stirling'' is a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base that is part of Fleet Base West situated on the west coast of Australia, on the Indian Ocean. The base is located on Garden Island in the state of Western Australia, near the city of ...
, a rigorous training exercise was performed. The exercise focused on
anti-aircraft warfare Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes Surface-to-air m ...
,
damage control In navies and the maritime industry, damage control is the emergency control of situations that may cause the sinking of a watercraft. Examples are: * rupture of a pipe or hull especially below the waterline and * damage from grounding (runn ...
, and
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN defence) are protective measures taken in situations in which chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear warfare (including terrorism) hazards may be present. CBRN defence consi ...
defence. On one occasion, ''Darwin'' and ''Adelaide'' boarded ''Success'', which had assumed the role of a non-cooperative
merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are u ...
.
RAAF "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
aircraft and Learjet aircraft operated by Fleet Support Services assisted the task group in their exercises. The exercises were paused when the task group arrived at ''Stirling'' for an overnight visit on 21 August, and were resumed once the group departed ''Stirling'' to transit the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
the next day. After a brief stop in
Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is an island of the British Indian Ocean Territory, a disputed overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It is a militarised atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of the 60 small islands o ...
, the task group entered the Middle East Region on 3 September. While Operation Damask officially started on 6 September, ''Success'' commenced her replenishment operations on 7 September. Over the course of Operation Damask, the task group interrogated up to 30 merchant vessels a day, as well as aircraft, questioning their origin, identity destination and cargo, as well as conducting
naval boarding Naval boarding action is an offensive tactic used in naval warfare to come up against (or alongside) an enemy marine vessel and attack by inserting combatants aboard that vessel. The goal of boarding is to invade and overrun the enemy personn ...
operations. Most notably, between 26 and 28 October ''Darwin'' combined with US Ships USS ''Ogden'' and USS ''Reasoner'', and HMS ''Brazen'' to intercept the 150,000 tonne
oil tanker An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crud ...
''Amuriyah'', whose
shipmaster A sea captain, ship's captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel.Aragon and Messner, 2001, p.3. The captain is responsible for the safe and efficie ...
was uncooperative. This was despite numerous warning shots and even a flypast of aircraft from the
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
USS ''Independence'', which failed to deter the tanker. The tanker adopted a zig-zag course in an apparent attempt to ram ''Darwin''. It was only when a
US Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
detachment from ''Ogden'' fast-roped from helicopters on to the ship that she was brought to a stop enabling boarding parties from ''Darwin'' and ''Reasoner'' to conduct a search. Following Operation Damask I, the three ships left the combat zone on 3 December after being relieved by the ships assigned to Operation Damask II. Operation Damask II (3 December 1990 – 28 May 1991) Task Group 627.4 * HMAS ''Brisbane'' (until 26 March 1991) * HMAS ''Sydney'' (until 26 March 1991) **1 S-70B-2 Seahawk, SITU, 1 AS-350BA Squirrel, 723 Squadron * HMAS ''Westralia'' (26 January 1991 – June 1991) **Detachment, 111 Battery (Light), 16th Air Defence Regiment On 12 November, ''Brisbane'' and ''Sydney'' departed for the Middle East via
Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
and
Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is an island of the British Indian Ocean Territory, a disputed overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It is a militarised atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of the 60 small islands o ...
, arriving on 3 December. ''Westralia'' arrived later on 2 January 1991. On 3 December, the three ships were permitted by Australian
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (9 December 1929 – 16 May 2019) was an Australian politician and union organiser who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (A ...
to pass through the
Strait of Hormuz The Strait of Hormuz ( fa, تنگه هرمز ''Tangeh-ye Hormoz'' ar, مَضيق هُرمُز ''Maḍīq Hurmuz'') is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the ...
into the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
. They became part of a multi-national task force consisting of around 90
warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...
s, 100
logistical support Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...
ships and 800 aircraft from 15 nations. On the morning of 3 December, ''Sydney'' and ''Brisbane'' rendezvoused with the ships part of Damask I, and conducted a thorough handover. On 16 December, ''Sydney'' and ''Brisbane'' entered the Persian Gulf along with the rest of the Naval Task Force, and began to conduct maritime interception duties. On 24 December, ''Sydney'' joined 5 other coalition ships to assist in the interception of the Iraqi-crewed ''Ibn Khaldoon'', which was attempting to break the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
embargo Economic sanctions are commercial and financial penalties applied by one or more countries against a targeted self-governing state, group, or individual. Economic sanctions are not necessarily imposed because of economic circumstances—they m ...
. After failing to respond, ''Sydney'', as well as some of the other warships, inserted a boarding team to stop the ship, which they later found to have been carrying prohibited
cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
. On 27 and 28 December, ''Brisbane'' came to the assistance of three separate vessels in distress. ''Sydney'' boarded another ship on 30 December. Following the passing of the United Nations deadline on 16 December, ''Brisbane'' and ''Sydney'' became part of
Battle Force Zulu Battle Force Zulu is the code-name designation for the following U.S. Navy task forces: *Task Force 60 during 1986's Operation El Dorado Canyon, Operation Prairie Fire, and Attain Document series of freedom of navigation (FON) naval maneuvers in th ...
, forming part of an air defence screen providing
anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
cover to the four
US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s in that force. These duties continued until the end of Damask II. During ''Westralia's'' time in the Persian Gulf, she conducted 90
replenishment at sea Replenishment at sea (RAS) (North Atlantic Treaty Organization/Commonwealth of Nations) or underway replenishment (UNREP) (U.S. Navy) is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way. First develope ...
over a period of 120 days. Operation Damask III (13 June 1991 – 4 September 1991) * HMAS ''Darwin'' **1 S-70B-2 Seahawk, 816 Squadron and 1 AS-350BA Squirrel, 723 Squadron ''Darwin'' arrived in the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
on 13 June and immediately commenced escort duties by leading
merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are u ...
s to and from Kuwaiti waters. During this time, emphasis was placed on detection of possible
mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun ...
attacks, with ''Darwin'''s helicopters being deployed constantly forward of the vessel in search of mines as well as extra
lookout A lookout or look-out is a person in charge of the observation of hazards. The term originally comes from a naval background, where lookouts would watch for other ships, land, and various dangers. The term has now passed into wider parlance. ...
s being posted around the ship. In addition to this, Darwin integrated with the USS ''Nimitz'' battle group, and conducted boarding and interception operations. Operation Damask IV (25 September 1991 – January 1992) * ''
HMAS Sydney (FFG 03) HMAS ''Sydney'' (FFG 03) was an guided-missile frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The frigate was one of six modified s ordered from 1977 onwards, and the third of four to be constructed in the United States of America. Laid down and la ...
'' Operation Damask V (22 February 1992 – 16 July 1992) * ''
HMAS Darwin (FFG 04) HMAS ''Darwin'' (FFG 04), named for the capital city of the Northern Territory, was an Adelaide-class frigate, ''Adelaide''-class guided-missile frigate, formerly in service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). One of four ships ordered from th ...
'' Operation Damask VI (October 1992 – April 1993) * HMAS ''Canberra'' ''Canberra'' was deployed to the
Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
in October 1992 to enforce an oil
embargo Economic sanctions are commercial and financial penalties applied by one or more countries against a targeted self-governing state, group, or individual. Economic sanctions are not necessarily imposed because of economic circumstances—they m ...
against Iraq in accordance with UN sanctions. Operation Damask VII (20 July 1993 – 9 November 1993) * ''
HMAS Sydney (FFG 03) HMAS ''Sydney'' (FFG 03) was an guided-missile frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The frigate was one of six modified s ordered from 1977 onwards, and the third of four to be constructed in the United States of America. Laid down and la ...
'' Operation Damask VIII (7 May 1996 – 15 August 1996) * ''
HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05) HMAS ''Melbourne'' (FFG 05) was an ''Adelaide''-class guided-missile frigate of the Royal Australian Navy, which entered service in 1992. ''Melbourne'' has been deployed to the Persian Gulf on several occasions, and served as part of the INTER ...
'' Operation Damask IX (29 May 1999 – 13 August 1999) * ''
HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05) HMAS ''Melbourne'' (FFG 05) was an ''Adelaide''-class guided-missile frigate of the Royal Australian Navy, which entered service in 1992. ''Melbourne'' has been deployed to the Persian Gulf on several occasions, and served as part of the INTER ...
'' Operation Damask X (30 July 2001 – November 2001) * ''
HMAS Anzac (FFH 150) HMAS ''Anzac'' (FFH 150) is the lead ship of the ''Anzac''-class frigates in use with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). Entering Australian service in 1996, the frigate operated as part of the INTERFET peac ...
'' Other Deployments *Logistic Support Element (Muscat, Oman) **Logistic Support Detachment Bahrain **Logistic Support Detachment Dubai Task Group Medical Support Elements (served aboard USS ''Comfort'') *TGMSE 1 (13 September 1990 – 4 January 1991) *TGMSE 2 (31 December 1990 – 15 March 1991) *TGMSE 3 (13 January 1991 – 15 March 1991) Clearance Diving Team 3 operated in the theatre from 27 January 1991 to 10 May 1991. It was involved in mine clearing operations in Kuwait from 5 March to 19 April 1991.


Royal Australian Air Force

RAAF
C-130 The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...
aircraft from No. 36 and No. 37 Squadrons provided a shuttle service between Australia and the Persian Gulf.
Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
aircraft from No. 33 Squadron and VIP aircraft from No. 34 Squadron also flew to the Middle East. A small team of RAAF photo-interpreters was posted to Saudi Arabia. Intelligence analysts from the RAAF and
Defence Intelligence Organisation The Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) is an Australian government military intelligence agency responsible for strategic intelligence and technical intelligence assessments, advising defence and government decision-making on national sec ...
were also posted to Saudi Arabia.


Australian Army

The only formed Australian Army units to participate in the Persian Gulf War were anti-aircraft missile teams from the
16th Air Defence Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery The 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is the Australian Army's only ground-based air defence (GBAD) unit. It also provides sense, warn and locate, ground liaison, and joint terminal attack control capabilities. Part of the Royal Regiment ...
who, equipped with
RBS 70 RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70) is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) designed for anti-aircraft warfare in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. Originally designed and manufactured by the Swedish defence firm of ...
missiles, provided point defence to HMAS ''Success'' and HMAS ''Westralia''. A small number of Australians (mainly Army officers) on exchange to US and British units saw action in the Persian Gulf with those units.


Operation Provide Comfort/Operation Habitat (16 May 1991 – 30 June 1991)

The Australian Army and Air Force provided 75 personnel to
Operation Habitat The 1991 uprisings in Iraq were a series of anti-governmental intifada (rebellions) in Southern and Northern Iraq during the aftermath of the Gulf War in March–April 1991. On 16 May 1991, 75 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were deploye ...
, the Australian contribution to
Operation Provide Comfort Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern ...
, the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kurds living in the UN-declared exclusion zone in northern Iraq. *Australian Medical Unit (Gir-I-Pit, Northern Iraq) **Headquarters and Administrative Support Group **Four Medical Teams **Dental Team **Preventative Medical Section **Engineer Section


Notes


References

* * * * * * * {{Australian Military History Gulf War
Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...