Operation Newcombe was the
code name
A code name, call sign or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in industrial c ...
for two separate and concurrent British non-combat military operations in
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
. One operation involved logistical and airlift support for the French-led
Operation Barkhane
Operation Barkhane was an anti-insurgent operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region.[Operation Serval
Operation Serval (french: Opération Serval) was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali.
Operation Serval followed the ...]
), whilst the other encompassed peacekeeping in support of the
(MINUSMA).
The operation was first launched on 13 January 2013 by Prime Minister
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...
and initially involved
strategic airlift
An airlift is the organized delivery of supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft.
Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distance ...
and
aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of ima ...
.
It later saw the deployment of a detachment of
Chinook transport helicopters, before shifting its emphasis to UN peacekeeping in 2020. The operation ultimately drew to a close on 14 November 2022 due to political instability in the country.
Background
In 2012, amid
unprecedented civil unrest, rebel groups — including Islamist militants with links to
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
— began to violently take control of northern parts of Mali. The
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
subsequently authorised a
French-backed resolution for African-led military action to retake control. In January 2013,
Ansar Dine
Ansar Dine ( ar, أنصار الدين ''ʾAnṣār ad-Dīn'', also transliterated ''Ançar Deen''; meaning " helpers of the religion" (Islam) also known as Ansar al-Din (abbreviated as AAD) was a Salafi jihadist group led by Iyad Ag Ghaly. Ans ...
Islamists ran the Malian Army out of the city of
Konna, which is situated northeast of the capital
Bamako
Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on t ...
.
Following a request for military assistance from Mali, France launched
Operation Serval
Operation Serval (french: Opération Serval) was a French military operation in Mali. The aim of the operation was to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali.
Operation Serval followed the ...
and began targeting Islamist militants in the north of the country.
France requested assistance from other countries, including the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, and following a phone call between British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President
François Hollande
François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande (; born 12 August 1954) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2012 to 2017. He previously was First Secretary of the Socialist Party (PS) from 1997 to 2008, Mayor of Tulle from ...
, the UK agreed to contribute "very limited strategic tactical support" with no personnel deployed in a combat role.
Deployment
![RAF Sentinel Mali](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/RAF_Sentinel_Mali.jpg)
20132020
On 13 January 2013, two
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
C-17 Globemaster III
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two ...
transport aircraft from
No. 99 Squadron RAF
Number 99 Squadron is a squadron (aviation), squadron of the Royal Air Force which operates the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic/tactical transport aircraft from RAF Brize Norton.
The squadron conducts global deployments on behalf of the B ...
took off from
RAF Brize Norton
Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the village of Brize Norton, and the towns of Carterton and Witney.
The station ...
en route to
Évreux-Fauville Air Base
Évreux-Fauville Air Base (''Base aérienne 105 Évreux'' or BA 105) is a French Air and Space Force base located about 2 miles (3 km) east of the town of Évreux in the Eure ''département'', on the north side of the Route nationale 13 ...
in France. The aircraft were loaded with French armoured vehicles and other military equipment before airlifting them to French forces in
Bamako
Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on t ...
, Mali's capital. Defence Secretary
Philip Hammond
Philip Hammond, Baron Hammond of Runnymede (born 4 December 1955) is a British politician and life peer who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2016 to 2019, Foreign Secretary from 2014 to 2016, and Defence Secretary from 2011 to 2014. ...
later announced the UK would also deploy a
Sentinel R1 surveillance aircraft. The aircraft, from
No. 5 Squadron RAF
Number 5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron (although His Majesty the King awarded No. V (Army Cooperation) Squadron) was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It most recently operated the Raytheon Sentinel R1 Airborne STand-Off Radar (ASTOR) aircraf ...
, was based in
Dakar, Senegal
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 20 ...
alongside 100 support personnel. In four months, it had flown for a total of 697 hours across 66 sorties and had delivered 100 intelligence reports to French commanders. It returned to the UK on 22 May 2013.
On 29 January 2013, 330 British military personnel were deployed to West Africa in a training role, including 40 destined for Mali in support of the
EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali).
In addition to assisting French and EU forces, the UK also assisted the
African-led International Support Mission to Mali
The African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) is an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) organized military mission sent to support the government of ECOWAS member nation Mali against Islamist rebels in the Norther ...
(AFISMA) with the deployment of a 200-strong military training team and RAF C-17 transportation flights.
In 2016, the UK pledged to continue its C-17 support on a monthly basis.
In 2018,
No. 1310 Flight RAF
No. 1310 Flight RAF is a flight of the Royal Air Force.
History
No. 1310 (Transport) Flight was first formed at RAF Llandow on 10 April 1944, equipped with Avro Anson I transport aircraft. The flight was disbanded on 21 July 1944 at RAF Bogno ...
, consisting three RAF
Chinook transport helicopters and up to 60 support personnel, were deployed to Mali to assist French operations.
A C-17 was used to transport supplies necessary for the deployment, which landed at
Gao International Airport
Gao International Airport , also known as Korogoussou Airport, is an airport in Gao, Mali.
Airlines and destinations
In addition to civilian travel, Gao serves the adjacent Malian military base Camp Firhoun Ag Alinsar as well as the German m ...
. In November 2019, the aircraft were involved in the response effort following the
2019 Ménaka mid-air collision which killed 13 French soldiers — the largest loss of French service personnel in nearly four decades.
In 2019, the UK announced its intention to deploy 250 military personnel to
Gao
Gao , or Gawgaw/Kawkaw, is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
For much of its history Gao was an impor ...
in 2020 as peacekeepers in support of
(MINUSMA). In April,
Sierra Troop, 244 Signal Squadron (Air Support), Royal Signals arrived in Gao via an RAF
A400M Atlas transport aircraft to provide information and communication services (ICS) support. The troop constructed a permanent communications shelter with the assistance of the
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
.
2020present
![Op Newcombe Chinook Mobile Air Ops Team](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Op_Newcombe_Chinook_Mobile_Air_Ops_Team.jpg)
By May 2020, the Chinooks had passed 2,000 flying hours, moved over 1,000 tonnes of freight and transported 12,000 passengers.
The aircraft were flown by
No. 18 Squadron RAF
No. 18 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook (UK variants), Boeing Chinook from RAF Odiham. Owing to its heritage as a bomber squadron, it is also known as No. 18 (B) Squadron.
History
First World War
The squadron was fo ...
, and
No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook from RAF Odiham.
History
First World War
27 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps formed at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome on , being split off from 24 Squadron. Initially using air ...
and had their deployment extended in June.
The
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, which began in 2019, had not impacted operations.
Additionally, the
Light Dragoons
The Light Dragoons (LD) is a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment has a light cavalry role and specialises in mounted and dismounted reconnaissance. The Light Dragoons recruit mainly in Northern England, from the counties of Northu ...
and
The Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the Line Regiments now operating i ...
prepared to deploy as the 250-strong peacekeeping force announced previously in support of MINUSMA.
They formed a Long Range Reconnaissance Group (LRRG) to carry out long-range reconnaissance patrols and intelligence-gathering for the UN, whilst operating separately from the Chinook contingent.
Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk
The Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk is a miniature UAV used for base perimeter protection. It was designed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works for the United States Air Force Force Protection Airborne Surveillance System (FPASS) Program on a quick-react ...
unmanned aerial vehicles were also deployed.
During a four-month tour between May–July 2020, British Chinook helicopters took part in several intensive operations, including a series of company-sized airlifts of
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
units. One phase of the operation saw a Chinook flying during the night alongside French
Caiman helicopters to insert over 130 troops for a clearance patrol before returning them back to Gao 36 hours later.
In November 2020, 300 British troops from the Light Dragoons and the Royal Anglian Regiment arrived in Mali to undertake their MINUSMA peacekeeping mission. Arriving via an RAF Atlas aircraft, the troops began operating out of a British section of a UN camp in Gao, named Camp Bagnold in honour of the desert explorer and soldier Brigadier
Ralph Alger Bagnold
Brigadier Ralph Alger Bagnold, OBE, FRS, (3 April 1896 – 28 May 1990) was an English 20th-century desert explorer, geologist and soldier.
In 1932, he staged the first recorded East-to-West crossing of the Libyan Desert. His work in the fi ...
. As part of their mission, the troops provided a reconnaissance capability, carrying out patrols and gathering intelligence for the local population. Additionally, the three Chinook helicopters and 100 logistics personnel remained committed to the operation.
In July 2021, British Chinook helicopters helped recover two
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...
pilots after they were forced to eject from their
Mirage 2000
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (''Arm ...
fighter jet over central Mali. The helicopters transported 60 French troops to secure the crash site and recover both pilots, both of whom survived.
In October 2021, whilst on a UN peacekeeping patrol from Gao to Ménaka, British troops came under fire from two armed attackers. The troops returned fire and killed both attackers whilst sustaining no casualties. It was the first time British troops had killed armed fighters in combat since the end of combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014.
Withdrawal
On 14 November 2022, the UK announced a withdrawal of its forces from Mali due to political instability. There had been two coups in three years with the last one resulting in a
military junta
A military junta () is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the national and local junta organized by the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion of Spain in ...
in May 2021. Relations between Mali and Western powers subsequently deteriorated as the junta resisted Western demands for an immediate transfer back to civilian rule. The junta also sought the support of the
Wagner Group
The Wagner Group (russian: Группа Вагнера, Gruppa Vagnera), also known as PMC Wagner ( «Вагнер», ChVK «Vagner»; ), is a Russian paramilitary organization. It is variously described as a private military company (PMC), a ...
, a Russian paramilitary organisation which has been accused of human rights abuses and war crimes. France announced a full withdrawal of its forces on 17 February 2022, citing "multiple obstructions" by the Malian government, which was completed by 16 August 2022.
British forces remained in the country in support of UN peacekeeping duties until 14 November, when Defence Minister
James Heappey
James Stephen Heappey (born 30 January 1981) is a British politician serving as Minister of State for the Armed Forces since 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, he has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wells in Somerset since 20 ...
announced a withdrawal. In Parliament, he stated: "Two coups in three years have undermined international efforts to advance peace". He added: "
he Malian governmentbegan working with the Russian mercenary group Wagner and actively sought to interfere with the work of both the French-led and UN missions.
..This government cannot deploy our nation’s military to provide security when the host country’s government is not willing to work with us to deliver lasting stability and security".
See also
*
Operation Turus - A similar British military operation to support Nigeria's fight against
Boko Haram
Boko Haram, officially known as ''Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād'' ( ar, جماعة أهل السنة للدعوة والجهاد, lit=Group of the People of Sunnah for Dawah and Jihad), is an Islamic terrorist organization ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newcombe, Operation
Military operations involving the United Kingdom
21st-century Royal Air Force deployments