List of recent Australian warship deployments to the Middle East

HMAS Adelaide in the Persian Gulf in September 2004.

The Royal Australian Navy has deployed ships to the Middle East over 57 times since 1990. These ships have participated in the 1991 Gulf War, enforced sanctions against Iraq, taken part in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and provided security for Iraq's oil exports. Since 2009 Australian ships have also been involved in counter piracy operations.[1]

The dates provided are the dates the ship arrived and departed from the Middle East Area of Operations. Please see the Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations 1990–2005 for the dates the ships arrived and departed from Australia. Except where otherwise noted, all ships mainly operated in the Persian Gulf.

Deployments

Ship Operation(s) Arrived Departed Notes
Adelaide Damask I 3 September 1990 3 December 1990 Gulf of Oman
Darwin Damask I 3 September 1990 3 December 1990 Gulf of Oman
Success Damask I/II 3 September 1990 25 January 1990
Sydney Damask II 3 December 1990 26 March 1991
Brisbane Damask II 3 December 1990 26 March 1991
Westralia Damask II/III 25 January 1991 June 1991
Darwin Damask III 13 June 1991 4 September 1991
Sydney Damask IV 25 September 1991 31 January 1992 Red Sea
Darwin Damask V 11 March 1992 16 July 1992 Red Sea
Canberra Damask VI 13 November 1992 12 March 1993 Red Sea
Sydney Damask VII 30 July 1993 9 November 1993 Red Sea
Melbourne Damask VIII 7 May 1996 15 August 1996
Melbourne Damask IX 30 May 1999 13 August 1999
Anzac Damask X/Slipper 30 July 2001 November 2001
Sydney Slipper 9 November 2001 23 February 2002
Adelaide Slipper 2 December 2001 4 March 2002
Kanimbla Slipper 2 December 2001 4 March 2002
Canberra Slipper 14 March 2002 8 July 2002
Manoora Slipper 28 February 2002 24 June 2002
Newcastle Slipper 8 February 2002 24 June 2002
Melbourne Slipper 24 June 2002 8 November 2002
Arunta Slipper 8 July 2002 20 November 2002
Anzac Slipper/Bastille/Falconer 8 November 2002 27 April 2003
Darwin Slipper/Bastille/Falconer 10 November 2002 26 April 2003
Kanimbla Bastille/Falconer 13 February 2003 14 June 2003
Sydney Falconer/Catalyst 29 April 2003 2 August 2003
Manoora Falconer 3 June 2003 16 June 2003 Returned equipment to Australia
Newcastle Catalyst 5 August 2003 17 November 2003
Melbourne Catalyst 27 October 2003 1 April 2004
Stuart Catalyst 3 April 2004 13 August 2004
Adelaide Catalyst 13 July 2004 12 January 2005
Darwin Catalyst 12 January 2005 11 June 2005
Tobruk Catalyst May 2005? 16 May 2005 Transported the Al Muthanna Task Group's vehicles to Kuwait
Newcastle Catalyst 14 June 2005 November 2005
Parramatta Catalyst November 2005 March 2006
Ballarat Catalyst March 2006 August 2006
Warramunga Catalyst July 2006 January 2007?
Tobruk[2] Catalyst and Slipper January 2007? March 2007? Transported military stores and equipment
Toowoomba[3] Catalyst January 2007 June 2007
Anzac[4] Catalyst June 2007? December 2007[5]
Arunta[6] Catalyst December 2007 April 2008
Stuart[6] Catalyst April 2008 August 2008[7]
Parramatta[7] Catalyst August 2008 23 January 2009[8]
Warramunga[8] Slipper 23 January 2009 June 2009 last ship assigned exclusively in the Persian Gulf
Toowoomba Slipper June 2009[9] November 2009[9] first ship to be assigned to anti-piracy, off Somalia
Stuart Slipper November 2009[9] April 2010 anti-piracy
Parramatta Slipper April 2010 October 2010 anti-piracy
Melbourne Slipper October 2010 January 2011 anti-piracy
Stuart Slipper January 2011 June 2011 anti-piracy
Melbourne Slipper February 2012 July 2012 anti-piracy
Anzac Slipper July 2012 January 2013 anti-piracy/anti-terrorism
Toowoomba Slipper January 2013 April 2013 anti-piracy
Darwin Slipper/Manitou February 2014 August 2014 anti-piracy – last warlike/Slipper deployment

Notes

  1. ^ McPhedran, Ian (29 May 2009). "Navy warship and RAAF spy planes join fight against Somali pirates". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. p. 11. ISSN 1836-0203. Archived from the original on 6 January 2016.
  2. ^ Brooke, Michael (5 April 2007). "Tobruk spirit". Navy News. Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 12 August 2008.
  3. ^ Australian Department of Defence media release HMAS Toowoomba welcomed home. 2 July 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2007
  4. ^ Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence media release. HMAS Anzac Departs for Persian Gulf Archived 9 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2007
  5. ^ Australian Department of Defence media release HMAS Anzac returns to HMAS Stirling from the Persian Gulf. 5 December 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
  6. ^ a b "Mission Accomplished – HMAS Arunta Heads Home" (Press release). Australian Department of Defence. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  7. ^ a b "HMAS Stuart welcomed home" (Press release). Minister for Defence. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  8. ^ a b "HMAS Warramunga begins operations in Persian Gulf" (Press release). Department of Defence. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
  9. ^ a b c "MEAO Maritime Security Operations & Tactical Air Operations". Australian & NZ Defender (68). Brisbane: Fullbore Magazines: 18. ISSN 1322-039X.

References

  • Vanessa Bendle (Principal author), David Griffin, Peter Laurence, Richard McMillan, Brett Mitchell, Greg Nash, John Perryman, David Stevens, Nial Wheate Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations 1990–2005. Seapower Centre – Australia.
  • Greg Nash and David Stevens (2006) Australia's Navy in the Gulf. From Countenance to Catalyst, 1941–2006. Topmill, Sydney.