BILLING IN PROGRESS [Australia]: Operation Solania

[Owen]

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OPERATION SOLANIA​

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Objective:	Operation Solania is the Australian Defence Force contribution to maritime surveillance within the Pacific Region. It also fulfils the obligations of the Australian Defence Force to defend certain Pacific Island nations which do not maintain standing militaries. Defence assets assigned to Operation Solania provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support to the Pacific Islands nations. This capability also supports the economic development of Pacific Island nations, through the protection of fisheries and other resources.
Date:	1 July 2008 - Present
Location:	South Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands
Status:	Ongoing

BELLIGERENTS​

Australia Royal Australian Navy Royal Australian Air Force Australian Fisheries Management Authority Direct defence responsibility of Australia: Solomon Islands Vanuatu Kiribati Nauru Tuvalu In support of: New Caledonia (France) French Polynesia (France) American Samoa (United States) Wallis and Futuna (France) Pitcairn Islands (United Kingdom) Fiji Papua New Guinea Marshall Islands Federated States of Micronesia Samoa Tonga Cook Islands (New Zealand) Niue (New Zealand) Tokelau (New Zealand)

Pirates People Smugglers Drug Smugglers Terrorists Illegal Fishermen

COMMANDERS AND LEADERS​

Julia Gillard (Prime Minister) John Faulkner (Minister for Defence) Jenny McAllister (Minister for Pacific Island Affairs and Overseas Aid) Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston (Chief of the Defence Force) Vice Admiral David Johnston (Chief of Joint Operations) Vice Admiral Ray Griggs (Chief of Navy) Air Marshal Mark Binskin (Chief of Air Force) Rear Admiral Katherine Richards (Commander Australian Fleet) Air Vice-Marshal Leo Davies (Air Commander Australia)

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STRENGTH​

Royal Australian Navy: Fleet Command Surface Force Second Australian Destroyer Squadron HMAS Newcastle (Adelaide-class Frigate): 220x Regular Personnel, 32x RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, 40x Harpoon missiles, 6x MU90 Impact torpedoes and full rounds within its 76mm cannon and Phalanx CIWS HMAS Parramatta (Anzac-class Frigate): 160x Regular Personnel, 32x RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, 8x Naval Strike Missiles, 6x MU90 Impact torpedoes and full rounds within its 5 inch/54 calibre cannon, Mini Typhoons and Phalanx CIWS as well as full rounds of Nulka decoys and Chaff decoys Fleet Air Arm 816 Squadron (9x Regular Personnel, 3x Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks: each with 4 Hellfire missiles and full rounds in their machine guns) Support Force ADV Guidance (20x Regular Personnel) Royal Australian Air Force: Air Command Air Mobility Group No. 84 Wing No. 35 Squadron: 60x Regular Personnel, 2x Alenia C-27J Spartans Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry: Australian Fisheries Management Authority National Compliance Operations (6x Fisheries Officers)

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CASUALTIES AND LOSSES​

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[Owen]

HMAS Newcastle, an Adelaide-class Frigate and HMAS Parramatta, an Anzac-class Frigate would prepare for deployment to Operation Solania at Fleet Base East, Sydney. Three MH-60R Seahawks of 816 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, would fly over from HMAS Albatross near Nowra. Two would be onboard HMAS Newcastle and one would be onboard HMAS Parramatta. HMAS Newcastle would have a complement of 220 personnel, 32 RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, 40 Harpoon missiles, 6 MU90 Impact torpedoes and full rounds within its 76mm cannon and Phalanx CIWS. HMAS Parramatta would have a complement of 160 personnel, 32 RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, 8 Naval Strike Missiles, 6 MU90 Impact torpedoes and full rounds within its 5 inch/54 calibre cannon, Mini Typhoons and Phalanx CIWS as well as full rounds of Nulka decoys and Chaff decoys. All MH-60R Seahawks would have 4 Hellfire missiles and full rounds in their machine guns. Each ship would carry 3 Fisheries officers from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

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The first deployment would take them towards New Caledonia, following QG -> RG (Bruno). They would brush around the southern tip of New Caledonia before heading towards Vanuatu to make a port call in Port Vila. This was a show of commitment to New Caledonia's security following years of turmoil and civil unrest.

Meanwhile at RAAF Base Townsville, No. 35 Squadron would be prepared to make sporadic patrols around Pacific waters from Townsville using C-27J Spartans to undertake fisheries enforcement. No. 35 Squadron was nicknamed "Wallaby Airlines".

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[Owen]

HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Newcastle would make their port call in Port Vila, Vanuatu, a nation which Australia had defence responsibility for as they didn't maintain a standing military, one of the many across the South Pacific region. The sailors would hand out boxes of Australian Aid, courtesy of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to the local population. The Commanders of the ships would inspect the Vanuatu Police Force's paramilitary wing guard of honour.

Commander Phillipa Hay, Commander of HMAS Newcastle, would inspect the Vanuatu Police Mobile Force Guard in Port Vila


Australian Aid being unloaded from HMAS Parramatta​

Whilst the ships were not able to carry a lot of aid, the Royal Australian Navy would bring onboard two new vessels, specifically designated as "Pacific Support Vessels", which could carry a lot of aid: ADV Guidance and ADV Reliant. They would have heavy cranes onboard and even a helipad. They could undertake a range of humanitarian tasks in the Pacific and at least one would be deployed to Operation Solania at all times. First would be ADV Guidance based out of Fleet Base East in Sydney. It would travel QF -> RG -> RH to join the other two ships in Vanuatu. It would have a crew of 20 personnel onboard and would have 68 shipping containers worth of miscellaneous Australian Aid onboard.

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