[Australia]: Operation Morris Dance

[Owen]

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OPERATION MORRIS DANCE​

CLASSIFIED​

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Objective:	Evacuate Australian, New Zealand, British, American, Canadian and Singaporean citizens as well as citizens of other Pacific Island nations from New Caledonia. Provide logistical support to partner nations in support of operations in New Caledonia.
Date:	4 July 2004 - Present
Location:	New Caledonia, Coral Sea
Status:	Ongoing

BELLIGERENTS​

Australia Royal Australian Navy Royal Australian Air Force Australian Army Australian Federal Police Australian Border Force Department of Health Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Queensland Queensland Police Service Queensland Ambulance Service Support: Poland Thailand New Zealand

New Caledonia seperatists

COMMANDERS AND LEADERS​

Julia Gillard (Prime Minister) John Faulkner (Minister for Defence) Jenny McAllister (Minister for Pacific Island Affairs and Overseas Aid) General Peter Cosgrove (Chief of the Defence Force) Vice Admiral David Johnston (Chief of Joint Operations) Vice Admiral Russ Crane (Chief of Navy) Air Marshal Angus Houston (Chief of Air Force) Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer (Commander Australian Fleet) Air Vice-Marshal Julie Hammer (Air Commander Australia) Major General Mike Hindmarsh (Special Operations Commander Australia) Annelise Young (Australian Consul-General in Noumea) Anna Bligh (Premier of Queensland)

Éloi Declerc

STRENGTH​

Operational forces deploying to New Caledonia Royal Australian Navy: Fleet Command Surface Combatant Group HMAS Choules (Bay-class Landing Ship: 140x regular personnel, full rounds for 1x Phalanx CIWS and 1x 30mm DS30B cannon. Capacity for 356 or 700 overload.) HMAS Tobruk (Bay-class Landing Ship: 140x regular personnel, full rounds for 1x Phalanx CIWS and 1x 30mm DS30B cannon. Capacity for 356 standard or 700 overload.) HMAS Jervis Bay (Jervis Bay-class Catamaran: 20x regular personnel, full rounds for 2x 7.62mm general purpose machine guns. Capacity for 500 standard.) HMAS Balikpapan (Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy: 16x regular personnel, full rounds for 2x 12.7mm machine guns. Capacity for 400 between shore and larger amphibious vessel.) HMAS Brunei (Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy: 16x regular personnel, full rounds for 2x 12.7mm machine guns. Capacity for 400 between shore and larger amphibious vessel.) HMAS Labuan (Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy: 16x regular personnel, full rounds for 2x 12.7mm machine guns. Capacity for 400 between shore and larger amphibious vessel.) HMAS Tarakan (Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy: 16x regular personnel, full rounds for 2x 12.7mm machine guns. Capacity for 400 between shore and larger amphibious vessel.) HMAS Wewak (Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy: 16x regular personnel, full rounds for 2x 12.7mm machine guns. Capacity for 400 between shore and larger amphibious vessel.) HMAS Madang (Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy: 16x regular personnel, full rounds for 2x 12.7mm machine guns. Capacity for 400 between shore and larger amphibious vessel.) HMAS Buna (Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy: 16x regular personnel, full rounds for 2x 12.7mm machine guns. Capacity for 400 between shore and larger amphibious vessel.) HMAS Betano (Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy: 16x regular personnel, full rounds for 2x 12.7mm machine guns. Capacity for 400 between shore and larger amphibious vessel.) Navy Systems Command Navy People, Training and Resources Royal Australian Navy Health Services Primary Casualty Reception Facility (36x regular personnel embarked on HMAS Choules and HMAS Tobruk) Royal Australian Air Force: Air Command Air Mobility Group No. 84 Wing No. 32 Squadron (36x regular personnel, 12x Beechcraft Super King Air 350iERs) No. 35 Squadron ("Wallaby Airlines") (30x regular personnel, 10x Alenia C-27J Spartans) Australian Army: Special Operations Command Special Forces Group Special Air Service Regiment 3rd Squadron (150x special forces) Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Bilateral Relations Group Europe Division Consulate-General in Noumea (50x diplomatic, consular and mission staff) Support forces deployed in Australia Australian Defence Force: Royal Australian Navy Navy Systems Command Navy People, Training and Resources Royal Australian Naval Reserve Naval Reserve Headquarters South Queensland (100x regular personnel) Royal Australian Air Force Support Command Combat Support Group No. 95 Expeditionary Wing No. 386 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron (100x regular personnel) No. 96 Air Base Wing Base Squadron Amberley (200x regular personnel) Health Services Wing No. 3 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (150x regular personnel) Air Force Training Group Combat Reserve Wing No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron (100x regular personnel) Australian Army Special Operations Command Special Forces Group Special Air Service Regiment Specialist Support Squadron (50x special forces) Operational Support Squadron (50x special forces) Special Operations Logistics Squadron 1st Troop (25x special forces) 3rd Troop (25x special forces) Forces Command 1st (Australian) Division 2nd Health Brigade 2nd Health Battalion 7th Health Support Company (125x regular personnel) 9th Health Support Company (125x regular personnel) 6th Combat Support Brigade 1st Military Police Battalion D Company (25x regular personnel) 17th Sustainment Brigade 9th Force Support Battalion 9th Logistic Support Company (200x regular personnel) 176th Air Dispatch Squadron (50x regular personnel) 2nd (Australian) Division 11th Brigade 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (Moreton Regiment) A Company (The Brisbane Company) (100x reserve personnel) Australian Federal Police: Deputy Commissioner, National Security Specialist Protective Command International Deployment Group Special Operations Team (100x police tactical officers) Protection Operations Group Sensitive Establishments Branch (100x police officers, 20x police cars) Deputy Commissioner, Crime Northern Command Northern Command Operations and Support - Brisbane Airport (150x police officers, 30x police cars) Department of Health: National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre Australian Medical Assistance Team (100x health professionals) Queensland Police Service: Regional Operations Brisbane Region (100x police officers, 20x police cars) Specialist Operations Special Emergency Response Team (20x tactical police officers, 1x Lenco BearCat) Australian Border Force: Port Operations Command Regional Command Queensland (50x Border Force officers)

Unknown

CASUALTIES AND LOSSES​

None

None

 

[Owen]

The operation would get underway with the deployment of ADF and other federal and state government assets to the Brisbane region in preparation for RAAF Base Amberley, Brisbane International Airport and the Port of Brisbane to be used by nations like Poland to support their operations in New Caledonia. HMAS Moreton would be a small navy depot on the mouth of the Brisbane River near the Port of Brisbane, The Naval Reserve Headquarters South Queensland was based there with 100 navy personnel. These personnel would be deployed to the Port of Brisbane to assist in the logistical task of having ships dock in the port as well as loading and off-loading troops and cargo. To support air operations at Brisbane International Airport, 100 air force personnel of the No. 386 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron as well as 100 air force personnel of the No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron, which was a reserves squadron, would be sent to the airport to support aircraft movements and logistical tasks. 50 regular army personnel of the 176th Air Dispatch Squadron, 9th Force Support Battalion would also be deployed to Brisbane International Airport to assist in loading and off-loading from aircraft. Base Squadron Amberley of 200 air force personnel would be operating as normal at RAAF Base Amberley to support aircraft movements. 25 regular army personnel of the D Company, 1st Military Police Battalion would be deployed to Brisbane International Airport to support security at the airport and supplement the nearly 150 Australian Federal Police officers who would be based at the airport full-time who would also provide some security on the ground at the tarmac as well as their normal duties in the airport terminals.

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The route between the airport and the port would become a high-security zone. The Polish Armed Forces were planning on moving vehicles and troops between the airport and the port. Whilst near to each other, they were not directly connected. This would mean the M1 Motorway and M4 Motorway would need to be closed from time to time to allow these movements. The security for this would be provided by 100 Queensland Police Service officers and their vehicles who would be able to manage the flow of traffic and to cut off junctions into the motorways. The Queensland Traffic Management Centre would also assist with changing intelligence signage to close the motorways. 100 Australian Federal Police officers of the Sensitive Establishments Branch, a part of the Protection Operations Group, would also be deployed to assist in this task as Polish Armed Forces assets were deemed to be high-risk and their specialisation was in protecting high-risk assets. These would be supplemented by 20 tactical police officers and 1 Lenco BearCat of the Queensland Police Service's Special Emergency Response Team as well as 100 police tactical officers of the Australian Federal Police's Special Operations Team who would be deployed to Brisbane to also be on standby for any contingencies in New Caledonia. 200 regular army personnel of the 9th Logistic Support Company, 9th Force Support Battalion would also be deployed to assist with the movement of assets from the airport to the port. 100 army reserve personnel from the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment would also be called up for duty as a contingency and to assist with any tasks that is deemed necessary, taking on a more multi-role approach. To support the anticipated arrival of foreign citizens into Brisbane Airport, 50 border force officers from the Regional Command Queensland would be on standby to process them. In case of any mass-casualty events or the need to treat the evacuees, numerous medical staff would set up a field hospital at Brisbane Airport on the open grass area. This would be controlled by the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre who would deploy 100 health professionals from the Department of Health to the field hospital and this would be supplemented by 250 army regular personnel from the 7th and 9th Health Support Companies of the 2nd Health Battalion as well as 150 air force personnel from the No. 3 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron who would also be on standby to set up Alenia C-27J Spartans for aeromedical evacuations from New Caledonia if necessary.

Red line indicates escorted route from the airport to the port, yellow crosses indicate road closures for roads joining onto the escorted route, purple line indicates the docking area of the Port of Brisbane. Circled green is the staging area at the airport and circled blue is HMAS Morteon. This would be made public to the Polish Armed Forces.​

The 3rd Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment would be moved to Brisbane from Perth in preparations for contingency deployments to New Caledonia to support evacuations. 1st and 3rd Troops of the Special Operations Logistics Squadron would be deployed from Sydney to assist them in logistical tasks as well as the Specialist Support Squadron and Operational Support Squadron from the SASR. 75 special forces each from 3rd Squadron would be deployed on HMAS Choules and HMAS Tobruk.

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At Fleet Base East in Sydney the main ships, HMAS Choules and HMAS Tobruk would be prepared and would depart from the base. Onboard they would have 140 regular personnel each along with 18 naval medics each from the Primary Casualty Reception Facility. They would have full rounds for the Phalanx CIWS and 30mm cannon which they have onboard. They would be instructed to first move to the Port of Brisbane going QF -> QG. The other naval assets would be based at HMAS Cairns in Cairns and HMAS Melville in Darwin. HMAS Jervis Bay, Balikpapan, Betano, Madang and Buna would be stationed in Darwin and would move to Brisbane via route PH -> QH -> QG. HMAS Labuan, Tarakan, Wewak and Brunei would be stationed in Cairns and would move to Brisbane via route QH -> QG. HMAS Jervis Bay would have 20 naval personnel on board and full rounds for their two machine guns. The Balikpapan-class landing crafts would be manned by 16 naval personnel each and would have full rounds for their two machine guns.

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The Air Force assets which would be assisting in this mission would be the 10 Alenia C-27J Spartans of No. 35 Squadron, colloquially known as "Wallaby Airlines". They would be based at RAAF Base Townsville and would move to RAAF Base Amberley via QH -> QG. The 12 Beechcraft Super King Air 350iERs of No. 32 Squadron based at RAAF Base East Sale would also be deployed to RAAF Base Amberley via route QF -> QG.

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50 consular officials from the Australian Consulate-General in Noumea would be deployed on the ground in Noumea to assist with the processing of Australian, New Zealand and other citizens ready for transport them to Australia. They would have their passports and other documentation checked.

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ManBear

 

[Owen]

CLASSIFIED​

With the lack of cooperation from the Polish and Thai authorities to tap into the vast strength and capabilities of the Australian Defence Force to operate in New Caledonia the mission would shift focus to more nuanced and clandestine operations. Units would still be deployed as an operational contingency. While there was a promise by the Thai Government to evacuate Australian citizens, this was still not guaranteed and did not include the 50 staff employed at the Consulate-General. In order to support a potential operation to evacuate Consulate staff from Noumea, focus would shift to enabling Norfolk Island as a forward operating base. The was two facilities on Norfolk Island that would enable this: Kingston Jetty and Norfolk Island Airport. HMAS Wewak, HMAS Madang, HMAS Buna and HMAS Betano would be relocated to Kingston Jetty on Norfolk Island from the Port of Brisbane travelling QG -> RG. Five RAAF Super King Airs and three C-27J Spartans would be moved from RAAF Base Amberley to Norfolk Island Airport travelling on the same route. In order to support operations 30 members of the No. 386 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron and 20 members of the Naval Reserve Headquarters South Queensland would be flown on board the Super King Airs to support operations on Norfolk Island and would be accomodated at the New Military Barracks historical site at Kingston (with the Old Military Barracks being used as the Legislative Assembly Chambers), as there was no military bases on Norfolk Island, along with the crew of boat the landing craft and the aircraft.

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