Australian contribution to the 1991 Gulf War 4565378 182923099 2008-01-08T10:06:13Z Chwyatt 264438 /* Operation Provide Comfort/Operation Habitat (16 May 1991 – 30 June 1991) */ [[Image:HMAS_Sydney_1991.jpg|250px|thumb|[[HMAS Sydney (FFG 03)|HMAS ''Sydney'']] in the Persian Gulf in 1991. Note radar absorbent matting fitted to the side of the ship.]] [[Australia]] was a member of the international coalition which contributed military forces to the [[Gulf War|1991 Gulf War]], also known as Operation Desert Storm and The Persian Gulf War. While the Australian forces did not see combat, they did play a significant role in enforcing the [[International sanctions|sanctions]] put in place against [[Iraq]] following the invasion of [[Kuwait]], as well as other small support contributions to Operation Desert Storm. ==Overview== Australia’s contribution to the 1991 Persian Gulf War centred around a Naval Task Group which formed part of the multi-national fleet in the [[Persian Gulf]] and [[Gulf of Oman]]. In addition, medical teams were deployed aboard a US [[hospital ship]] and a [[Clearance Diving Team (RAN)|naval 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 to northern Iraq as part of [[Operation Provide Comfort]]. Royal Australian Navy warships [[List of recent Australian warship deployments to the Middle East|were periodically deployed to the Persian Gulf]] to enforce sanctions against Iraq until the [[2003 Invasion of Iraq]]. While there were proposals to deploy other units (including an apparent US request for [[F-111|RF-111]] reconnaissance aircraft) these proposals came to nothing and no [[Australian Army]] or [[Royal Australian Air Force]] combat units were deployed. While some publications suggest that the [[Australian Special Air Service Regiment]] took part in the war, this is not correct (though the SAS was brought to a higher state of readiness and a very small number of personnel on exchange to the British SAS saw action). ==Royal Australian Navy== '''Operation Damask I ([[6 September]] [[1990]] – [[3 December]] [[1990]])''' Task Group 627.4 * [[HMAS Adelaide (FFG 01)|HMAS ''Adelaide'']] **1 [[S-70|S-70B-2 Seahawk]], [[816 Squadron RAN|SITU]] and 1 [[AS-350BA Squirrel]], [[723 Squadron RAN|723 Squadron]] *[[HMAS Darwin (FFG 04)|HMAS ''Darwin'']] **1 S-70B-2 Seahawk, SITU and 1 AS-350BA Squirrel, 723 Squadron *[[HMAS Success (AOR-304)|HMAS ''Success'']] (6 September 1990 – 25 January 1991) **Detachment, 111 Battery (Light), [[16th Air Defence Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery|16th Air Defence Regiment]] **1 AS-350BA Squirrel, 723 Squadron '''Operation Damask II ([[3 December]] [[1990]] – [[28 May]] [[1991]])''' Task Group 627.4 *[[HMAS Brisbane (D-41)|HMAS ''Brisbane'']] (until [[26 March]] [[1991]]) *[[HMAS Sydney (FFG 03)|HMAS ''Sydney'']] (until [[26 March]] [[1991]]) **1 S-70B-2 Seahawk, SITU, 1 AS-350BA Squirrel, 723 Squadron *[[HMAS Westralia (O 195)|HMAS ''Westralia'']] ([[26 January]] [[1991]] – June [[1991]]) **Detachment, 111 Battery (Light), [[16th Air Defence Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery|16th Air Defence Regiment]] '''Operation Damask III ([[13 June]] [[1991]] – [[4 September]] [[1991]])''' *[[HMAS Darwin (FFG 04)|HMAS ''Darwin'']] **1 S-70B-2 Seahawk, [[816 Squadron RAN|816 Squadron]] and 1 AS-350BA Squirrel, 723 Squadron '''Other Deployments''' *Logistic Support Element (Muscat, Oman) **Logistic Support Detachment Bahrain **Logistic Support Detachment Dubai '''Task Group Medical Support Elements (served aboard [[USNS Comfort (T-AH-20)|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]] aircraft from [[No. 36 Squadron RAAF|No. 36]] and [[No. 37 Squadron RAAF|No. 37]] Squadrons provided a shuttle service between Australia and the Persian Gulf. [[Boeing 707]] aircraft from [[No. 33 Squadron RAAF|No. 33 Squadron]] and VIP aircraft from [[No. 34 Squadron RAAF|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]] 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]] who, equipped with [[RBS 70]] 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 personnel to Operation Habitat, the Australian contribution to [[Operation Provide Comfort]], the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kurds living in the UN-declared exclusion zone in northern Iraq. [http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/history/airforce_history/gulfwar.htm] *Australian Medical Unit (Gir-I-Pit , Northern Iraq) **Headquarters and Administrative Support Group **Four Medical Teams **Dental Team **Preventative Medical Section **Engineer Section ==References== *Australian War Memorial. [http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/gulf.htm Gulf War 1990-1991] *Commander J.P. Hodgman (editor) (1991). Australia’s Navy 1991–92. Australian Department of Defence. Canberra. *Tony Holmes. ‘Tiger Squadron’ in Australian Aviation. July 2005/No. 218. Phantom Media. Canberra. *David Horner (1992). The Gulf Commitment. The Australian Defence Force’s First War. Melbourne University Press. Melbourne. *David Horner (1995). The Gunners. A History of Australian Artillery. Allen & Unwin. Sydney. *Peter Londey (2004). Other People’s Wars. A History of Australian Peacekeeping. Allen & Unwin. Sydney. *Department of Veterans Affairs (2003). [http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat/2003/gulfwarhs/html/contents.htm Australian Gulf War Veterans’ Health Study 2003]. (specifically, Chapter 2. ‘Australian involvement in the Gulf War’) * [http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/history/airforce_history/gulfwar.htm Royal Australian Air Force - Gulf War and Operation Habitat] {{Australian Military History}} [[Category:Gulf War]] [[Category:Military history of Australia]]