[Australia]: Operation Resolute

[Owen]

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OPERATION RESOLUTE​

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Objective:	Patrols of Australia's Economic Exclusive Zone
Date:	1 July 1996 - Present
Location:	Australia
Status:	Ongoing

BELLIGERENTS​

Australia Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Royal Australian Navy Royal Australian Air Force Australian Army Australian Federal Police Australian Security Intelligence Organisation New South Wales New South Wales Police Force Victoria Victoria Police Queensland Queensland Police Service Western Australia Western Australia Police Force South Australia South Australia Police Tasmania Tasmania Police Northern Territory Northern Territory Police Force

People Smugglers Drug Smugglers Illegal Fishermen

COMMANDERS AND LEADERS​

Paul Keating (Prime Minister) Robert Ray (Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs) John Faulkner (Minister for Defence) Chris Schacht (Minister for Small Business, Customs and Construction) Lionel Woodward (Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service) Rear Admiral Chris Oxenbould (Commander Australian Theatre and Commander Joint Task Force 639) Rear Admiral David Campbell (Maritime Commander Australia) Air Vice Marshal Brent Espeland (Air Commander Australia) Major General Peter Leahy (Land Commander Australia) Commissioner Michael Palmer (Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police) Dennis Richardson (Director-General of Security) Commissioner Peter Ryan (Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force) Chief Commissioner Neil Comrie (Chief Commissioner of the Victoria Police) Commissioner Jim O'Sullivan (Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service) Commissioner Robert Falconer (Commissioner of the Western Australia Police Force) Commissioner David Hunt (Commissioner of the South Australia Police) Commissioner Richard McCreadie (Commissioner of the Tasmania Police) Commissioner Brian Bates (Commissioner of the Northern Territory Police Force)

None

STRENGTH​

Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Border Protection Command: Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit: ACV Ashmore Guardian (16x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Triton (40x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Roebuck Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Hervey Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Holdfast Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Arnhem Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Dame Roma Mitchell (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Botany Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Corio Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Storm Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers) ACV Oceanic Viking (65x Customs and Border Protection Officers, 10x Australian Fisheries Management Authority Officers) Australian Coastal Surveillance Organisation (Coastwatch): 10x de Havilland Canada DHC-8-200 Dash 8s (40x Customs and Border Protection Officers) JOINT TASK FORCE 639 (NORTHERN COMMAND):​ Royal Australian Navy Patrol Boat Group: Attack Division: HMAS Fremantle (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Wollongong (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Cessnock (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Gawler (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Dubbo (22x Regular Personnel) Assail Division: HMAS Geelong (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Warrnambool (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Launceston (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Geraldton (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Bunbury (22x Regular Personnel) Ardent Division: HMAS Townsville (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Whyalla (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Ipswich (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Bendigo (22x Regular Personnel) HMAS Gladstone (22x Regular Personnel) Royal Australian Air Force Maritime Patrol Group: No. 92 Wing, Detachment B: No. 11 Squadron (100x Regular Personnel, 4x Lockheed P-3C Orions) Royal Australian Air Force Surveillance and Control Group: No. 41 Wing: No. 1 Radar Surveillance Unit (200x Regular Personnel) No. 2 Control and Reporting Unit (Northern Region Operations) (200x Regular Personnel) No. 3 Control and Reporting Unit (Eastern Region Operations) (200x Regular Personnel) Australian Army 1st Division: 6th Combat Support Brigade: North-West Mobile Force (NORFORCE) (500x Regular Personnel, 10x Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, 80x Land Rover Perentie 4x4s) Pilbara Regiment (500x Regular Personnel, 10x Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, 80x Land Rover Perentie 4x4s) 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment (500x Regular Personnel, 10x Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, 80x Land Rover Perentie 4x4s)

Unknown

CASUALTIES AND LOSSES​

None

None

 

[Connor]

The Swedish Security and Intelligence Community, having been paying particular attention to the region following the recent annexation of Antarctica, immediately becomes interested in the developments within the Commonwealth of Australia - especially given the unexpected and vast deployment around the Australian coastline. Given the lack of security classification on this documentation it is immediately carbon copied and passed on to analysts to make a national security decision.

On the basis that this deployment may impact future security operations in and around Swedish-controlled Antarctica, Operation Resolute is passed onto the Department of Defence for review; this naturally done without detection and any internal correspondence is done by encrypted means.

 

[Owen]

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The Operation would get underway with the receivement of 15 Fremantle-class Patrol Boats. From HMAS Melville in Darwin the following vessles would depart to their designated patrol zones, all patrols would be operated on a 6 month basis, that is they will change crew after 6 months. Replenishment will be done at local ports and facilities as they will remain close to the Australian shoreline, within the EEZ:

• Attack Division:
  • HMAS Fremantle (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Wollongong (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Cessnock (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Gawler (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Dubbo (22x Regular Personnel)
• Assail Division:
  • HMAS Geelong (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Warrnambool (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Launceston (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Geraldton (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Bunbury (22x Regular Personnel)
• Australian Customs and Border Protection Service:
  • ACV Ashmore Guardian (16x Customs and Border Protection Officers)
  • ACV Triton (40x Customs and Border Protection Officers)
  • ACV Roebuck Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers)
  • ACV Hervey Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers)
  • ACV Holdfast Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers)
  • ACV Arnhem Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers)
  • ACV Dame Roma Mitchell (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers)

HMAS Fremantle, Wollongong, Cessnock, Gawler and Dubbo along with ACV Roebuck Bay and ACV Hervey Bay would all be patrolling the north-western coastline between Darwin and Exmouth, Western Australia (within PH, OH and OG). This would include the Timor Sea and Indian Ocean. HMAS Geelong, Warrnambool and Launceston along with ACV Holdfast Bay would be patrolling the northern coastline between Darwin and Torres Strait including the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Arafura Sea (within PH and QH). HMAS Geraldton and ACV Arnhem Bay would be deployed to Christmas Island and HMAS Bunbury and ACV Dame Roma Mitchell would be deployed to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, doing patrols around those islands and within their EEZ. ACV Ashmore Guardian would be deployed to the Ashmore and Cartier Islands patrolling in and around the waters there. ACV Triton would be stationed in the Timor Sea and would act as a command vessel. All ships would be fully stocked with ammunition and necessary supplies. They would dock as needed in designated ports (Exmouth, Port Hedland, Karratha, Broome, Darwin, Nhulunbuy, Karumba, Nanum, Home Island and Flying Fish Cove). They would complimented by 7 de Havilland Canada DHC-8-200 Dash 8s from Coastwatch who would fly missions out of Darwin and Broome on an occasion basis. Usually there would be at least one aircraft in the air. They would mostly be on call out only though when surveillance was needed.

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From HMAS Cairns in Cairns the following vessles would depart to their designated patrol zones, all patrols would be operated on a 6 month basis, that is they will change crew after 6 months. Replenishment will be done at local ports and facilities as they will remain close to the Australian shoreline, within the EEZ:

• Ardent Division:
  • HMAS Townsville (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Whyalla (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Ipswich (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Bendigo (22x Regular Personnel)
  • HMAS Gladstone (22x Regular Personnel)
• Australian Customs and Border Protection Service:
  • ACV Botany Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers)
  • ACV Corio Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers)
  • ACV Storm Bay (12x Customs and Border Protection Officers)

HMAS Townsville, Whyalla, Ipswich and Bendigo along with ACV Botany Bay and ACV Corio Bay would be patrolling up and down the Queensland coastline between Torres Strait and Brisbane within the EEZ, stretching outwards to encompass all of the Territory of the Coral Sea Islands (within QH and QG). They would occassionally visit such islands for routine patrols. HMAS Gladstone and ACV Storm Bay would be deployed to the Torres Strait (within QH), patrolling the islands in and around the strait and engaging with the local Torres Strait Islanders and PNG Navy. All ships would be fully stocked with ammunition and necessary supplies. They would dock as needed in designated ports (Cairns, Thursday Island, Townsville, Mackay, Gladstone, Hervey Bay and Brisbane). They would complimented by 3 de Havilland Canada DHC-8-200 Dash 8s from Coastwatch who would fly missions out of Cairns on an occasion basis. Usually there would be at least one aircraft in the air. They would mostly be on call out only though when surveillance was needed.

At RAAF Base Edinburgh in Adelaide, four P-3C Orions would be prepared to fly from Edinburgh to RAAF Base Darwin (PF -> PG -> PH) where they would be stationed as apart of No. 92 Wing Detachment B. They would be rotated on a 6 month basis between No. 10 and No. 11 Squadron. The first rotation would be four from No. 11 Squadron. They would usually operate unarmed except for life rafts and sonobuoys in the torpedo tubes. They would only be armed on patrols when warranted. They would regularly patrol out of RAAF Base Darwin to the designated patrol area (Exmouth to Brisbane coastline, Coral Sea Islands, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands) as purely surveillance missions.

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ACV Oceanic Viking would be prepared from its base in Hobart, it would have 65 Customs officers onboard and 10 Australian Fisheries Management Authority officers. It was a relatively large ship and would be tasked with patrolling the southern coastline of Australia and the distant territory of Heard and McDonald Islands along with Macquarie Island (apart of Tasmania). It would depart Hobart and head west, patrolling the western coastline of Tasmania and then along the coastline of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia before heading off to Heard and McDonald Islands (QE -> PF -> OF -> NE -> MD). From there it would stay for a while and then head east to Macquarie Island skimming along the Antarctic coastline at about 500km at the closest point (MD -> ND -> OD -> PD -> QD), doing more or less the same as Heard and McDonald Islands before heading back to Hobart to change crew and replenish. This would be spread out over a few months. There would be enough fuel and supplies to last them at least 4 months.

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At least one Australian Federal Police officer would be onboard every vessel in order to provide for the necessary arrest powers if it is required.

DEPLOYMENT OF ASSETS WOULD BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, PRECISE LOCATIONS OF DEPLOYMENTS WOULD BE CLASSIFIED, GENERAL AREA WOULD BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE (i.e. Northern Coastline, Southern Ocean, etc.).​

 

[Owen]

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Another crucial element of Operation Resolute was the deployment and patrols conducted by the Regional Force Surveillance Units. These units form part of 6th Combat Support Brigade and consist of: North-West Mobile Force (NORFORCE), Pilbara Regiment and 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment (51FNQR). They each consist of: 500x Regular Personnel, 10x Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, 80x Land Rover Perentie 4x4s. NORFORCE is broken up into Arnhem Squadron, Centre Squadron, Darwin Squadron and Kimberley Squadron. Pilbara Regiment is broken up into 1st Squadron, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Squadron and 4th Squadron whereas Far North Queensland Regiment is broken up into A Company, B Company, C Company and D Company. They each had a designated area of northern Australia to which they would patrol. NORFORCE is focused on the Northern Territory and Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Pilbara Regiment is focused on the Pilbara Region of Western Australia and 51FNQR is focused on Far North and North West Queensland. NORFORCE is based out of Larrakeyah Barracks, Darwin, Pilbara Regiment out of Taylor Barracks, Karratha and 51FNQR out of Porton Barracks, Cairns. They would operate regular patrols out of these areas. Arnhem Squadron would patrol Arnhem Land and the eastern part of the Top End, Darwin Squadron would patrol the western part of the Top End, Centre Squadron would patrol the inland parts of the Northern Territory and Kimberley Squadron would patrol the Kimberley region. As for Pilbara Regiment and 51FNQR there would be no designated areas where the Squadrons/Companies patrol but would be generalised across the battalion/regiment patrol area.

NORFORCE Patrol Area

Pilbara Regiment Patrol Area

51FNQR Patrol Area
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The units draw on a long-time practice in Australia of using Aboriginal trackers. Indigenous skills of patrol, pathfinding and outback survival have a proud record in Australia assisting colonial and modern-day law enforcement and military operations. As a result, a high proportion the RFSUs' personnel are Indigenous Australians, making the Australian Army one of the largest single employers of Indigenous Australians. NORFORCE has the highest proportion of Indigenous soldiers, with 60% of the unit's personnel being Indigenous. About 30% of 51FNQR's personnel are Torres Strait Islanders or other Indigenous Australians. The Pilbara Regiment has relatively few Indigenous soldiers. The RFSUs' are highly regarded by many Indigenous community leaders as the units provide employment and training opportunities to young Indigenous people living in remote communities.

These units would begin patrols as apart of Operation Resolute and would be using the vast majority of its manpower at a single time patrolling some of the most remote areas of northern Australia. They would be driven around in Land Rover Perentie 4x4s and also Bushmaster PMVs for most specialist and rugged terrain.

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