Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
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The Australian Government was a strong and (on the public record at least) uncritical supporter of United States policy during the Iraq disarmament crisis and one of only four nations to commit combat forces to the 2003 invasion of Iraq in any substantial numbers, under the operational codename Operation Falconer.
It is now known that part of the Australian contingent of the Coalition entered Iraq prior to the formal outbreak of war.[1]
Australian forces committed to the conflict included three Royal Australian Navy ships, 500 special forces troops, P-3 Orion patrol and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, and RAAF 75 Squadron equipped with 14 F/A-18 Hornet fighters.
Combat forces committed to Operation Falconer for the 2003 Invasion were withdrawn during 2003. John Howard has yet to announce a withdrawal of Australian troops who are participating in the follow on mission to the invasion (known as Operation Catalyst), and has declined to give a deadline, stating that Australian troops will remain for as long as they are required.
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[edit] Forces committed
- A headquarters staff of about 60 personnel under the command of Brigadier Maurie McNarn.
- Royal Australian Navy
- The frigates HMAS Anzac and HMAS Darwin, which were already on-station as part of the Multinational Interception Force enforcing economic sanctions against Iraq before the invasion plan was entered into. Each ship carried a single Seahawk helicopter from 816 Squadron RAN[1]
- The transport ship HMAS Kanimbla carrying 350 crew and soldiers, including embarked Australian Army landing craft and an anti-aircraft contingent, a Sea King helicopter from 817 Squadron RAN, and a bomb disposal team. A detachment from the Army's 16th Air Defence Regiment provided point defence to the Kanimbla.
- Clearance Diving Team Three which worked alongside divers from several nations to clear Iraqi ports of mines.
- Royal Australian Air Force
- No. 75 Squadron, operating 14 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets together with 250 command, coordination, support and aircrew personnel.
- Three C-130H Hercules transport aircraft from No. 36 Squadron RAAF and 150 support personnel.
- Two AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and 150 support personnel (these aircraft may have operated in the electronic intelligence gathering role).
- Australian Army
- A 500-strong special forces task group consisting of:
- Forward Command Element
- Special Forces Task Group
- 1st Squadron Group, Australian Special Air Service Regiment
- Platoon (+), 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando)
- D Troop, Incident Response Regiment
- Combat Service Support Group
- Troop, C Squadron, 5th Aviation Regiment (3 CH-47 Chinook)
- A 500-strong special forces task group consisting of:
[edit] Military significance of Australian forces
In Australia there was little public discussion about the scale or military impact of the Australian commitment. Instead, public debate centred on the more fundamental question of whether forces should be sent at all, and if so, whether they should take part without explicit United Nations backing.
Australians generally regard their soldiers, sailors and airmen as a highly trained elite group, worthy of comparison with any in the world. Their ability to affect the course of the war in a significant way is limited by the different and relatively restrictive rules of engagement that the Australian Government has mandated and severely limited by their numbers. Given those numbers, however, they are regarded by military experts as highly effective.
[edit] Operations by Australian Forces
In keeping with its relatively small size, the Australian force only made a limited contribution to Coalition operations during the invasion of Iraq. The Australian contribution was also geographically dispersed, with the Australian forces forming part of larger US and British units rather than a concentrated Australian unit. No Australian personnel were killed, wounded or taken prisoner during the war.
[edit] Maritime operations
Prior to the outbreak of war the Australian naval force in the Persian Gulf continued to enforce the sanctions against Iraq. These operations were conducted by boarding parties from the RAN warships and the AP-3 Orion patrol aircraft.[2]
Upon the outbreak of war the RAN's focus shifted to supporting the coalition land forces and clearing the approaches to Iraqi ports. HMAS Anzac provided gunfire support to Royal Marines during fighting on the Al-Faw Peninsula and the Clearance Diving Team took part in clearing the approaches to Umm Qasr. Boarding operations continued during the war, and on 20 March boarding parties from the HMAS Kanimbla seized an Iraqi ship carrying 86 naval mines.[3]
[edit] Special forces operations
The primary role of the Special Forces Task Group was to secure an area of western Iraq from which it was feared that SCUD missiles could be launched. The SAS successfully entered Iraq by vehicle and United States helicopters and secured their area of responsibility after a week of fighting. Following this the SAS patrolled the highways in the area in order to block the escape of members of the Iraqi government and to prevent foreign fighters from entering the country.[4]
On 11 April the SAS Squadron was concentrated to capture the Al Asad air base. While this base proved to be almost undefended, the Australian troops captured over 50 MiG jets and more than 7.9 million kilograms of explosives. After securing the air base the SAS were reinforced by 4 RAR and the IRR elements. The Special Forces Task Group remained at Al Asad until the end of the war, when most of the SAS Squadron and IRR Troop returned home and the 4 RAR platoon (reinforced by elements of the SAS) was deployed to Baghdad to protect Australian diplomats.[5]
[edit] Air operations
No. 75 Squadron's initial role was to escort high-value Coalition aircraft such as tankers and AWACS aircraft. As it became clear that the Iraqi Air Force posed no threat, the role of No. 75 Squadron shifted to providing close air support to Coalition ground forces and air interdiction against Iraqi forces. These missions were initially flown in support of the US Army but the Squadron later switched to supporting the US Marines. As the Iraqi resistance crumbled the F/A-18s were increasingly tasked to provide 'shows of force' to encourage Iraqi forces to surrender. During the war No. 75 Squadron flew a total of 350 sorties and dropped 122 laser guided bombs.[6]
Reports indicate that the No. 75 Squadron's activities were somewhat restricted in their military role compared to similarly-equipped US forces. Australian aircraft were not permitted to operate in the "Baghdad SuperMEZ" (Missile Exclusion Zone) because of fears that the Hornet's electronic warfare systems were inadequate, though the report indicates that they were identical to American Hornets operating in this area. Furthermore, they were not permitted to conduct close air support missions in urban areas because of fears of collateral damage. These restrictions were in line with the rules of engagement set by the Australian Government, which were reportedly more restrictive than the rules governing the conduct of British and American forces.
The Australian C-130 transports and CH-47 helicopters provided airlift to Coalition forces, including the Australian Special Forces Task Group.[7]
[edit] Operations after the war
Following the capture of Baghdad Australian C-130 aircraft flew humanitarian supplies into the city. Almost all the forces deployed for the war returned to Australian shortly after the end of major fighting.[8]
Unlike the three other countries which contributed combat forces to the war, Australia did not immediately contribute military forces to the post-war occupation of Iraq. Following the end of the war the Australian force in Iraq was limited to specialists attached to the Coalition headquarters in Baghdad and the search for Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction, a frigate in the Persian Gulf, a party of air traffic controllers at Baghdad International Airport, two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, two AP-3C Orion aircraft and small numbers of infantry and Airfield Defence Guards protecting the Australian military units and diplomats based in Baghdad.[9] This force was later expanded to include an Army training detachment and a small medical detachment attached to a US Air Force hospital. The Royal Australian Navy has also assumed command of coalition forces in the Persian Gulf on two occasions; Combined Task Force 58 in 2005[10] and Combined Task Force 158 in 2006.[11]
During 2003 and 2004 the Australian Government is reported to have refused requests from the United States and United Nations to increase Australia's contribution to the Multinational force in Iraq through taking over the responsibility for providing security to a sector of Iraq.[citation needed] In February 2005, however, the Australian government announced that Australia would deploy an Army force to Al Muthanna Province to provide security for the Japanese engineers deployed to the province. This force, named the Al Muthanna Task Group, commenced operations in April 2005. The Australian Army battlegroup moved to Tallil Air Base in July 2006 and is currently designated Overwatch Battle Group (West).
To date, the Australian force in Iraq has only suffered one fatality; Private Jacob Kovco as part of SECDET Iraq died in what appears to have been a firearms accident (the circumstances of Private Kovco's death are currently under investigation by the New South Wales Coroner). A number of Australian personnel have been wounded in attacks on Australian convoys in Baghdad.
[edit] The Australian contribution in context
[edit] The scale of the Australian force commitment
The Australian military contribution was relatively small, around 2000 personnel in total, which is also smaller than other Coalition commitments in proportional terms. Calculated on a military personnel per head of population basis, the Australian forces could have been seven times larger and still not have been equal to the per-capita commitments of either the United States or the United Kingdom.
With one obvious exception, the particular forces committed by the Australian Government can be seen by some as modest and follow past practice closely. Australia committed special forces to the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in roughly similar numbers to those above. The two RAN frigates were already on-station for the Afghanistan campaign; Kanimbla was a relatively small addition to the naval force. RAN clearance divers also took part in the first Gulf War.
Australia sent Hercules and Orion aircraft to assist in the Afghanistan campaign—but also Boeing 707 tankers, which were not been committed to the Gulf conflict, despite a marked Coalition shortage of probe/drogue capable tanker aircraft. The absence of the 707s was likely caused by technical rather than policy reasons: the RAAF has only four second-hand 707 tankers; all are at the end of their service lives, very difficult to maintain and soon to be replaced.
The commitment of No. 75 Squadron and its supporting personnel, however, was a major change from past practice. Australia did not commit combat aircraft to the 1991 Gulf War, and although a small detachment of Hornets was deployed to Diego Garcia during the Afghanistan campaign to provide airfield defence for the joint United States-United Kingdom military facility present there, this was not a true combat role however, but simply a precaution against possible suicide attacks by hijacked civil aircraft. The commitment of No. 75 Squadron. was the first combat deployment of Australian aircraft since the Vietnam War.[12]
No official statement has been made on the reasons behind the choice of F/A-18 fighters as Australia's primary combat commitment, but it is commonly assumed that the obvious alternative of sending a substantial land force instead was considered to involve an unacceptably high risk of casualties, particularly given the possibility of house-to-house fighting in Iraqi cities. With Iraq being largely landlocked, and Australia no longer having a fixed-wing naval aviation component, a larger naval commitment could not be considered particularly helpful. The choice of the F/A-18 deployment rather than of the F-111 tactical bomber may have been due to the higher cost of operation of the F-111, and its use being limited to more politically contentious ground attack missions rather than more uncontentious tasks like combat air patrols.
Population | Size of force | per 1000 pop | |
---|---|---|---|
Australia | 19.6 million | 2000 | 0.1 |
UK | 60 million | 45,000 | 0.75 |
USA | 282 million | 214,000 | 0.76 |
(Iraq) | 22.7 million | 400,000 | 18.2 |
All figures approximate. Iraq is included for purposes of comparison. At around 0.0005% of its population, the Polish troop commitment is roughly 1/20th of Australia's, or 1/150th of the United States, allowing for population in both cases. |
[edit] Motivations for Australia's involvement in the war
The overall purpose of the Australian commitment to the US invasion of Iraq is difficult to define with certainty. According to Prime Minister John Howard's public statements, it was to "deprive Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction" which are a "direct undeniable and lethal threat to Australia", as well as to remove "a dictatorship of a particularly horrific kind".
The notably smaller size of the Australian force in comparison is such that some do not regard it as a serious attempt to substantially influence the result of the campaign. Many domestic political commentators have described it as a 'token force' to show solidarity with the United States, and yet it is argued that if a mere token commitment were required, a still smaller force would cost less, reduce the risk of casualties, and serve the political purpose equally well—note that Poland is generally described as one of the belligerents and yet to equal the Polish troop commitment in population-adjusted terms, a reduced contingent of 100 Australian personnel would suffice.[citation needed]
Critics of the government charge that Australian support for the US was geared towards influencing the US-Australian trade negotiations which were taking place at the time in Melbourne and which provide less restricted access to US markets for Australian agricultural products—a charge the Howard Government denies. Many political commentators suggest that Howard is obsessed with the idea of being (to use the words often wrongly attributed to Howard) the "deputy sheriff of the United States." (In fact the phrase was invented by an Australian media commentator.)[citation needed]
One suggestion put forward is that Australian participation is intended to buy what amounts to an insurance policy against any aggression by Indonesia or any other aggressor in the Asia Pacific region (i.e.. China). Howard's public statements on this, perhaps moderated by the international and domestic outrage produced by the deputy sheriff remark in 1999[citation needed], have been restrained. In the words of his speech to the nation announcing and justifying the war: "There's also another reason [for sending forces to Iraq] and that is our close security alliance with the United States. The Americans have helped us in the past and the United States is very important to Australia's long-term security." According to Howard, "It is critical that we maintain the involvement of the United States in our own region".
According to Simon Crean, who was Opposition Leader before December 2003, Australia's support for US Iraq policy has substantially increased the risk of further terrorist attacks on Australians like the 2002 Bali terrorist bombing which killed 88 Australian tourists and about 120 people from other nations as well. The Howard Government strenuously denies this claim.[citation needed]
There is also the possibility that Australian troops were sent to Iraq because the Australian government believed that ousting Saddam Hussein and hunting down any nuclear, biological or chemical weapons they may have possessed was a worthy cause and that the more countries that contributed to the efforts, the more legitimate and successful they would be.[citation needed] Australian troops in the Korean War were well regarded and amongst the most effective in that conflict[citation needed], despite the small size of the commitment (between one and three infantry battalions were deployed, along with some naval and other assets). The quality of training and equipment and determination of the force allows it to have a disproportionate influence for its size.
[edit] References
- ^ SAS Role in Iraq Revealed. The Sydney Morning Herald, May 9 2003.
- ^ Greg Nash and David Stevens (2006) Australia's Navy in the Gulf. From Countenance to Catalyst, 1941-2006. Topmill, Sydney. Pages 61-63.
- ^ Nash and Stevens (2006). Pages 66-72.
- ^ Ian McPhedran (2005). The Amazing SAS. The Inside Story of Australia's Special Forces. HarperCollins Publishers. Sydney. Pages 250-301.
- ^ McPhedran (2005). Pages 302-325
- ^ Tony Holmes, 'RAAF Hornets at War' in Australian Aviation January/February 2006 No. 224. Pages 38-39.
- ^ Australian Department of Defence (2004). The War in Iraq. ADF Operations in the Middle East in 2003. Page 28.
- ^ Australian Department of Defence (2004). Pages 32-33.
- ^ Australian Department of Defence (2004). Page 34.
- ^ Journalist Seaman Joseph Ebalo, Australian-Led Command Patrols Persian Gulf. Navy Newstand. 10 May 2005.
- ^ Lt. Karen E. Eifert U.S. Navy Takes the Reins of CTF 158 from Royal Australian Navy. Navy Newstand. 15 November 2006.
- ^ Holmes (2006). Page 38.
[edit] External links and bibliography
- Australian Department of Defence
- The War in Iraq - ADF Operations in the Middle East in 2003
- Australians in Iraq 2003
- Iraq, Australia Timeline
- Australia criticised for troops pullout, The Guardian, April 18, 2003
- Tony Holmes 'RAAF Hornets at War' in Australian Aviation. January/February 2006 No. 224.
- Ian McPhedran (2005). The Amazing SAS. The Inside Story of Australia's Special Forces. HarperCollins Publishers. Sydney.
- Greg Nash and David Stevens (2006) Australia's Navy in the Gulf. From Countenance to Catalyst, 1941-2006. Topmill, Sydney.
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