[Australia]: Operation Solace

[Owen]

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OPERATION SOLACE​

TOP SECRET​

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Objective:	Evacuate Australian Embassy staff in Paris.
Date:	22 March 2001 - 25 March 2001
Location:	France
Status:	Success. All Australian Embassy staff would be evacuated from Paris.

BELLIGERENTS​

Australia Royal Australian Air Force Australian Army

Rioters Unorganised Militias

COMMANDERS AND LEADERS​

Kim Beazley (Prime Minister) John Faulkner (Minister for Defence) Admiral Chris Barrie (Chief of the Defence Force) Rear Admiral Chris Oxenbould (Chief of Joint Operations) Air Marshal Ray Funnell (Chief of Air Force) Major General Mike Hindmarsh (Special Operations Commander Australia)

Unknown

STRENGTH​

Royal Australian Air Force: Air Command: Air Lift Group: No. 86 Wing: No. 36 Squadron (9x Regular Personnel, 3x Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs) Australian Army: Special Operations Command: Special Forces Group: Special Air Service Regiment: 2nd Squadron (100x Special Forces) Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Australian Embassy, Paris (20x Diplomatic Security Contractors)

Unknown

CASUALTIES AND LOSSES​

None

None

 

[Owen]

Top Secret

The National Security Committee would gather around the Cabinet Room.

"Given the unfolding situation in Paris, we can no longer guarantee the safety of those in the Embassy. And we are afraid they will become targets once the Regional Assistance Mission gets underway. The French Government can no longer ensure their safety and we only have 20 security contractors there. It was not a.... we didn't predict it would be one of our embassies to ever come under a security threat. If rioters and protestors found out about our operation in the Pacific, they would turn their efforts entirely onto our embassy. We need to evacuate it now." The Prime Minister would say, directing towards the Minister for Defence and the Chief of Defence Force who was invited into the meeting.

The Admiral would speak up.

"France is very far away, we would need to entirely rely on the Air Force to get this mission done. We have 300 staff in the Embassy in Paris, so I would say we could go with 3 Globemasters to fly across to France, to Orly Airport, pick up the staff and take them to London. We couldn't take Globemasters back to Australia with a full load without several stops, but at least in London they will be safe and the High Commission there can redeploy them to other parts of Europe. Its too risky for them to take the train into the United Kingdom, we're not even sure if it's still running. A Globemaster can fit 134 people in a sidewall and paletised configuration. If we get 100 staff in each, with about 34 Special Forces in each one, we could ensure that Orly Airport is secure as we load the Globemasters."

"Is this okay with you John?" The Prime Minister would ask his Minister.

"This has my approval."

"How about the rest of the committee?" The Prime Minister would ask.

The Treasurer, the Minister for Home Affairs, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Attorney-General would all nod.

"Make it happen." The Prime Minister would tell the CDF.

He would get on the phone to No. 36 Squadron Commander at RAAF Base Amberley.

"Yep.... 3 Globemasters... sidewall and palletised configuration please. Fly over to Pearce. Cheers."

At RAAF Base Amberley, 3 Globemasters with 2 pilots and 1 loadmaster would begin setting up their configuration and would load up with fuel. The pilots would all be briefed about their flight plan. They would begin taking off one by one, heading across the country to RAAF Base Pearce in Perth (QG -> PG -> OF). At Pearce, 100 members of the Special Air Service Regiment would be waiting having travelled from Campbell Barracks near Central Perth, fully armed with ammo and packed up with food and water for the journey. They were the best of the best, Australia's finest. The Globemasters would then fly across the Indian Ocean to Diego Garcia in order to refuel to make the rest of the journey to Paris (OF -> NG -> MH -> MI). The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence would be made aware of this (Jamie). Once they were refuelled they would continue heading over to Orly Airport, Paris via route MI -> LJ -> KK -> JL -> JM -> JN. The French Government would be made aware of this (Oceania).

Meanwhile in Paris, the Australian Embassy was on the edge of the protestor controlled area, right next to the Eiffel Tower. They would begin destroying any classified or sensitive documents and staff would begin loading into chartered buses. The 20 diplomatic security contractors, who were local French citizens hired by the Embassy to provide security, would provide security around the buses. They would immediately go out across the Pont de Bir-Hakeim bridge across the Seine and making their way onto the Boulevard Périphérique in the west side of Paris. They would drive around to the southern end and eventually take the A6a Motorway and the A106 down to Orly Airport. They would gather and wait there and would be processed to check their credentials in order to board the aircraft.

 

[Owen]

All the embassy staff at this point would have made their way to Orly Airport and would begin being processed. The 3 Globemasters would have made their way over to France and would come in for landing.

"Orly Approach this is Stallion 11, requesting approach into Orly Airport for Stallion 11, 12 and 13 in succession."

Once they had the clearance they would begin landing at Orly Airport. The thunderous roar of 3 x 4 Pratt & Whitney PW2000 engines would be sound across the area. There was a lot occurring and the pilots were on full alert for other air traffic moving through the airport grounds.

They would go over to their designated parking space and would park lined up. The front doors on all the aircraft would open and the SAS would begin streaming out. They would begin providing perimeter cover for the 3 Globemasters.

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The Embassy staff would begin loading into the Globemaster, with just a small carry on luggage with them. They would go through final ID checks before boarding the aircraft. They would be sat along the wall and in palletised seating in the cargoholds of all 3 aircraft. The Ambassador would make sure he was the last one on the aircraft. Once the aircraft were loaded, the SAS would rejoin them inside the aircraft and take their seats. They would close the front door and begin taxiing to the runway.

"Orly Tower, this is Stallion 11, 12 and 13. Requesting take off in succession." Stallion 11 would radio to the tower.

They would begin taking off one by one and would turn north, travelling from JN to JO, towards the United Kingdom. This was the first time in a very long time, possibly since the Battle of Britain that a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft has operated on mission within airspace of the United Kingdom. They would cross the English Channel and head towards London-Stansted Airport.

Oceania Jamie

 

[Owen]

The aircraft would land one by one at London Stansted Airport once they had clearance. Once there, the Embassy staff from Paris would unload and staff from the High Commission in London would process them and get them onto buses. These buses would be driven out of Stansted and into the centre of London where Embassy staff would be temporarily housed in hotel accomodation. The High Commission in London would organise for them to be redistributed to postings across Europe. Out of the 300 staff, 100 would stay in London, 100 would go to The Hague and 100 would go to Rome. They would do this via regular commercial flights. The 3 Globemasters at Stansted would refuel and would take off again, heading back towards Diego Garcia via route JO -> JN -> JM -> KL -> LK -> MJ. Once at Diego Garcia they would refuel and would continue on their journey to RAAF Base Pearce through MJ -> NI -> NH -> OG -> OF. Once at Pearce they would unload the 100 SASR who would return to their base at Campbell Barracks in Perth. The Globemasters would then fly OF -> PF -> QG back to their own base of RAAF Base Amberley outside Brisbane.

The Embassy in Paris would be officially declared temporarily closed. The mission would be declared a success and completed.

Jamie