| Australian Contribution to the 1991 Gulf War | |
|---|---|
| Part ofOperation Desert Storm | |
 HMASSydney in January 1991 | |
| Location | |
| Commanded by | Rear AdmiralKenneth Doolan |
| Objective | Providing support to forces engaged inOperation Desert Storm and for theSanctions against Iraq |
| Date | 13 August 1990 – November 2001 (Operation Damask) (11 years, 2 Months) |
| Executed by | Royal Australian Navy Royal Australian Air Force Australian Army |
| Outcome | Coalition victory |
Australia was a member of the international coalition which contributed military forces to the 1991Gulf War, also known asOperation Desert Storm. More than 1,800Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were deployed to the Persian Gulf from August 1990 to September 1991, while contingents from theRoyal Australian Navy circulated through the region in support of thesanctions against Iraq until November 2001. In August 1990, twofrigatesHMASAdelaide andHMASDarwin and thereplenishment shipHMASSuccess left for thePersian Gulf. HMASSuccess had noair defences, so the Army16th Air Defence Regiment was embarked. On 3 December 1990,HMASBrisbane andHMASSydney (IV) relieved HMASAdelaide and HMASDarwin. On 26 January 1991,HMASWestralia replaced HMASSuccess. A Navyclearance diving team was also deployed forexplosive ordnance disposal and demolition tasks. Australian ships were in danger ofsea mines and possible air attacks. In a number of recorded incidents, HMASBrisbane encountered free floating mines, on one occasion narrowly avoiding a collision. Both HMA ShipsBrisbane andSydney encountered significant air threat warnings fromIran andIraq throughout the initial period of the commencement of the Desert Storm Campaign. The detection of land basedSilkwormanti-ship missiles 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.[1] However, the government's position was not to deploy ground troops with "no boots in the sand".[citation needed] TheRoyal Australian Air Force deployed a unit ofphoto interpreters who were based inSaudi Arabia.[1] Four medical teams were also deployed.[1] At the end of Desert Storm, 75 ADF personnel were deployed to Northern Iraq to assist in the provision ofhumanitarian aid to theKurds living in the UN-declared exclusion zone.[1]
Whilst there were no casualties of ADF personnel during the conflict, a significant number of Australian Gulf War veterans appear to continue to suffer fromGulf War illness.[2] Overall, Australian forces never officially engaged in open combat with hostile forces.
Australia's contribution to the 1991 Gulf War centred on a Naval Task Group which formed part of the multi-national fleet in thePersian Gulf andGulf of Oman, underOperation Damask. In addition, medical teams were deployed aboard a UShospital ship 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 onOperation Habitat to northern Iraq as part ofOperation Provide Comfort.[1][3] While there were proposals to deploy other units (including an apparent US request forRF-111 reconnaissance aircraft) these proposals came to nothing and noAustralian Army orRoyal Australian Air Force combat units were deployed.
The AustralianSpecial Air Service Regiment (SASR) did not take part in the war.[3][4] In 1993, a book was published on a British SAS patrolBravo Two Zero with an Australian member using the pseudonym of Stan.[5] Subsequent media reports stated that SASR soldiers on exchange took part in the war, however, in 2005 it was disclosed that Stan was a formerArmy Reserve Commando who had joined the British Army.[6][4] 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.[7] In the aftermath of the conflict, Royal Australian Navy warships continued to bedeployed to the Persian Gulf periodically to enforce sanctions against Iraq until the2003 Invasion of Iraq.[8]
All Royal Australian Navy ships were coordinated from the Maritime Headquarters (MHQ) in theGarden Island Naval Precinct inSydney.[9] 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.[10]
Operation Damask I (6 September 1990 – 3 December 1990)
Task Group 627.4
The first ships to leave port wereAdelaide andDarwin on 13 August. The two ships embarked their complement ofFleet Air Arm (RAN) Seahawk and Squirrel helicopters on 14 August.[11] Task Group 627.4 was formed when theSuccess rendezvoused withDarwin andAdelaide on 15 August, with the commander of the task group being embarked onSuccess. Upon formation of the group, and during the transit towardsHMAS Stirling, a rigorous training exercise was performed. The exercise focused onanti-aircraft warfare,damage control, andNuclear, Biological, Chemical defence. On one occasion,Darwin andAdelaide boardedSuccess, which had assumed the role of a non-cooperativemerchant ship.[12]RAAF aircraft andLearjet aircraft operated by Fleet Support Services assisted the task group in their exercises. The exercises were paused when the task group arrived atStirling for an overnight visit on 21 August, and were resumed once the group departedStirling to transit theIndian Ocean the next day. After a brief stop inDiego Garcia, the task group entered theMiddle 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 conductingnaval boarding operations. Most notably, between 26 and 28 OctoberDarwin combined with US ShipsUSSOgden andUSSReasoner, andHMSBrazen to intercept the 150,000 tonneoil tankerAmuriyah, whoseshipmaster was uncooperative. This was despite numerous warning shots and even a flypast of aircraft from theaircraft carrierUSSIndependence, which failed to deter the tanker. The tanker adopted a zig-zag course in an apparent attempt to ramDarwin. It was only when aUS Marine detachment fromOgden fast-roped from helicopters on to the ship that she was brought to a stop enabling boarding parties fromDarwin andReasoner 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.[13][11]
Operation Damask II (3 December 1990 – 28 May 1991)
Task Group 627.4
On 12 November,Brisbane andSydney departed for the Middle East viaFremantle andDiego Garcia, arriving on 3 December.Westralia arrived later on 2 January 1991.[14] On 3 December, the three ships were permitted by AustralianPrime MinisterBob Hawke to pass through theStrait of Hormuz into thePersian Gulf. They became part of a multi-nationaltask force consisting of around 90warships, 100logistical support ships and 800 aircraft from 15 nations. On the morning of 3 December,Sydney andBrisbane rendezvoused with the ships part of Damask I, and conducted a thorough handover.[15] On 16 December,Sydney andBrisbane entered the Persian Gulf along with the rest of the Naval Task Force, and began to conductmaritime interception duties. On 24 December,Sydney joined 5 other coalition ships to assist in the interception of the Iraqi-crewedIbn Khaldoon, which was attempting to break theUnited Nationsembargo. After failing to respond,Sydney, as well as some of the other warships, inserted aboarding team to stop the ship, which they later found to have been carrying prohibitedcargo. On 27 and 28 December,Brisbane came to the assistance of three separate vessels indistress.[16]Sydney boarded another ship on 30 December. Following the passing of theUnited Nations deadline on 16 December,Brisbane andSydney became part ofBattle Force Zulu, forming part of anair defence screen providinganti-aircraft cover to the fourUS Navyaircraft carriers in that force. These duties continued until the end of Damask II. DuringWestralia's time in the Persian Gulf, she conducted 90replenishment at sea over a period of 120 days.[14]
Operation Damask III (13 June 1991 – 4 September 1991)
Darwin arrived in thePersian Gulf on 13 June and immediately commencedescort duties by leadingmerchant ships to and from Kuwaiti waters. During this time, emphasis was placed on detection of possiblemine attacks, withDarwin's helicopters being deployed constantly forward of the vessel in search of mines as well as extralookouts being posted around the ship. In addition to this, Darwin integrated with theUSSNimitzbattle group, and conducted boarding and interception operations.[11]
Operation Damask IV (25 September 1991 – January 1992)
Operation Damask V (22 February 1992 – 16 July 1992)
Operation Damask VI (October 1992 – April 1993)
Canberra was deployed to theRed Sea in October 1992 to enforce an oilembargo against Iraq in accordance with UN sanctions.[18]
Operation Damask VII (20 July 1993 – 9 November 1993)
Operation Damask VIII (7 May 1996 – 15 August 1996)
Operation Damask IX (29 May 1999 – 13 August 1999)
Operation Damask X (30 July 2001 – November 2001)
Other Deployments
Task Group Medical Support Elements (served aboardUSSComfort)
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.[citation needed]
RAAFC-130 aircraft fromNo. 36 andNo. 37 Squadrons provided a shuttle service between Australia and the Persian Gulf.Boeing 707 aircraft fromNo. 33 Squadron and VIP aircraft fromNo. 34 Squadron also flew to the Middle East.[citation needed] A small team of RAAF photo-interpreters was posted to Saudi Arabia. Intelligence analysts from the RAAF andDefence Intelligence Organisation were also posted to Saudi Arabia.[1]
The only formed Australian Army units to participate in the Persian Gulf War were anti-aircraft missile teams from the16th Air Defence Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery who, equipped withRBS 70 missiles, provided point defence to HMASSuccess and HMASWestralia. A small number of Australians (mainly Army officers) on exchange to US and British units saw action in the Persian Gulf with those units.[1]
The Australian Army and Air Force provided 75 personnel toOperation Habitat, the Australian contribution toOperation Provide Comfort, the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kurds living in the UN-declared exclusion zone in northern Iraq.[1][7]
