Operation Slipper

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War in Afghanistan

(2001–present)
Australian and Afghan soldiers prepare to depart on a joint patrol in September 2005.
Australian and Afghan soldiers prepare to depart on a joint patrol in September 2005.

Operation Slipper is the Australian Defence Force (ADF) contribution to the war in Afghanistan. The operation commenced in late 2001 and is ongoing. ADF participation included two major activities centred on Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf.

Contents

[edit] Afghanistan

[edit] First phase

A No. 33 Squadron B-707 refueling a US Navy F/A-18 in 2002.
A No. 33 Squadron B-707 refueling a US Navy F/A-18 in 2002.

Australian participation in Afghanistan included a Special Forces Task group and two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing 707 air-to-air refuelling aircraft from No. 33 Squadron. These aircraft and associated support personnel operated from Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan and provided support to coalition aircraft operating in Afghan airspace. RAAF C-130 Hercules transport aircraft were also involved in providing logistic support for deployed forces. The initial ADF commitment in Afghanistan concluded in December 2002 when the Special Air Service Task Group was withdrawn. Following this date Australia’s total contribution to efforts in Afghanistan was a single officer attached to the Coalition’s mine clearing force.

Australian SAS Squadron deployments

Note: all dates are approximate as Australian Government doesn't release SASR deployment details

  • 1 Squadron Group, SASR (October 2001-April 2002)
  • 3 Squadron Group, SASR (April 2002-July/August 2002)
  • 2 Squadron Group, SASR (July/August 2002-November 2002)

A Troop from the Special Air Service of New Zealand was attached to each Australian SAS Squadron Group. It’s unclear whether the New Zealand SAS Troop was rotated at the same times as the Australian units.

[edit] Second phase

An Australian Special Forces Task Group was re-deployed to Afghanistan in August or September 2005. This Task Group consisted of elements from the SASR, 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando), the Incident Response Regiment and logistic support personnel. As well as heavily modified land rovers, the Special Forces Task Group was also equipped with some Bushmaster infantry mobility vehicles. A detachment of two CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the 5th Aviation Regiment was deployed to Afghanistan in March 2006 to support the Special Forces Task Group. The Australian Special Forces Task Group was withdrawn from Afghanistan in September 2006 and the helicopter detachment returned to Australia in April 2007.

[edit] Third phase

A Reconstruction Taskforce based around the 1st Combat Engineer Regiment with protective elements from the 5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 2nd Cavalry Regiment began arriving in Orūzgān Province in southern Afghanistan in early September 2006. The Australian Reconstruction Taskforce forms part of a Dutch-led Provincial Reconstruction Team. The Dutch force in the province is designated Task Force Uruzgan.

Then-Prime Minister John Howard announced plans in April 2007 to deploy 300 special forces to support the Reconstruction Taskforce. In addition to radar crews, logistics and intelligence officers, and security personnel, this would bring the number of Australian forces in Afghanistan up to about 950 in mid-2007 and 1000 by mid-2008.[1]

[edit] Persian Gulf

See also: List of recent Australian warship deployments to the Middle East
HMAS Kanimbla preparing to launch a US Navy rigid hull inflatable boat in January 2002.
HMAS Kanimbla preparing to launch a US Navy rigid hull inflatable boat in January 2002.

Since October 2001 the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has maintained a continuous presence in and around Iraqi territorial waters as part of Operation Slipper and subsequent operations. There were four major rotations of RAN ships to this area of operations between December 2001 and March 2003. The primary focus of these rotations was to conduct Maritime Interception Operations as part of a US, Australian and British force enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions against Iraq. The first rotation consisted of Her Majesty's Australian Ships (HMAS) Sydney, Adelaide and Kanimbla. These ships were followed in February 2002 by HMA Ships Canberra, Newcastle and Manoora and again in July 2002 by HMAS Arunta and Melbourne. Detachments from the Army's 16th Air Defence Regiment provided point defence to the Kanimbla and Manoora during their deployments. One of the final Operation Slipper rotations was in November 2002 with HMA Ships Anzac and Darwin. HMAS Kanimbla departed from Sydney, Australia on the 20th January 2003 again bound for the Persain Gulf under the mission objectives of Operation Bastille. On arriving in Bahrain on the 16th February 2003 she reverted to the original mission objects of Operation Slipper (that of enforcing UN Sanctions against Iraq). On the 20th March 2003, HMA Ships Kanimbla, Anzac and Darwin participated in the combat phase of the 2003 Iraq War, codenamed Operation Falconer.

During these operations the Australian ships pioneered a number of techniques that increased the effectiveness of Maritime Interception Force operations leading to them intercepting and boarding approximately 1700 vessels during the period. Four Australian naval officers commanded the multi national force at various times during the course of the operation.

[edit] Diego Garcia

A detachment of four Australian F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft provided air defence for the US military base on the island of Diego Garcia during the campaign against the Taliban. The initial detachment was provided by No. 77 Squadron RAAF between December 2001 and 10 February 2002. This detachment was replaced by a detachment from No. 3 Squadron RAAF which was deployed between 10 February 2002 and 20 May 2002. No further Australian units have been deployed to Diego Garcia.

[edit] Casualties

Operation Slipper is further notable for the first Australian combat deaths since the Vietnam War. [2] Six Australian soldiers have been killed during operations in Afghanistan. A further 28 had been wounded as of early November 2007.[3]

Andrew Russell was an Australian Special Air Service Regiment sergeant. On February 16, 2002, Russell was traveling through southern Afghanistan with four other Australian soldiers when their patrol vehicle struck a land mine, severely injuring the 33-year old. He was taken to a US military hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. [4]

David Pearce was the second Australian fatality in Afghanistan. Pearce, a soldier from the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment, was killed while serving in Orūzgān Province.[5][6] Pearce was driving an ASLAV on October 9, 2007, when an improvised road-side explosive device detonated, killing him and injuring a passenger.[7]

Matthew Locke MG, was an Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) Sergeant. On October 25, 2007, Locke, who was serving a second tour of duty in Afghanistan, was engaged in a firefight with members of the Taliban militia, when he was injured in the chest by small arms fire. Other soldiers in his unit provided first aid care prior to and during evacuation to a medical facility, where he died a short time later. Like David Pearce, Sergeant Locke was killed while serving in Orūzgān Province, Afghanistan. During his first tour of duty, Locke had been awarded the Medal for Gallantry.[8][2][9]

Luke Worsley, 26, was a Special Operations Task Group member. He was shot and killed by small arms fire on 23 November 2007 during an attempt to take a heavily defended Taliban position. [10]

Jason Marks, 27, was a Lance Corporal from the Australian 4RAR. He was killed after a intense firefight with Taliban insurgents, when a RPG landed near the patrol vehicle he was taking cover behind whilst reloading his weapon. The attack occurred 25km south of the Australian base at Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan province. Four other Australian soldiers were wounded in the attack. All five were flown to a nearby US Military Hospital, where the wounded were expected to fully recover.[11][12]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Australia to double Afghan force. bbc.co.uk. Written 2007-4-10. Accessed 2007-4-12.
  2. ^ a b "Tributes flow for fallen SAS sergeant", The Age, 2007-10-25. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  3. ^ "Soldier loses lower arm, eye", Townsville Bulletin, 2007-11-09. Retrieved on 2007-11-09. 
  4. ^ "Snub for war widow", Sydney Morning Herald, 2003-10-27. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  5. ^ "Family mourns 'popular and respected' soldier", ABC News (Australia), 2007-10-09. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  6. ^ "Digger David Pearce killed by bomb in Afghanistan", News Limited, 2007-10-09. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  7. ^ "Dead trooper revealed as father of two", The Australian, 2007-10-09. Retrieved on 2007-11-06. 
  8. ^ "Dead SAS man decorated for gallantry: GG", ABC News (Australia), 2007-10-26. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  9. ^ "Sergeant Matthew Locke killed in Afghanistan", News Limited, 2007-10-26. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  10. ^ "Aussie commando killed", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2007-11-23. Retrieved on 2007-11-23. 
  11. ^ http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23608613-5001028,00.html
  12. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/28/2228850.htm

[edit] References

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Military history of Australia