Introduction On 24 February 2015, New Zealand prime minister John Key announced that up to 143 New Zealand troops would be sent to Iraq to help train Iraqi forces. Most would be deployed to Taji, he said, and would be part of a joint training mission with Australian forces. The head of the New Zealand […]
Archives
Baghdad Diplomatic Security Centre
Introduction In late November 2014, most of the 200 Australian Special Forces Task Group personnel were relocated from Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE to the Baghdad Diplomatic Security Centre in the Baghdad Airport Precinct. At that point the SATG was conducting assistance for close air support of Iraqi operations, and was preparing to move […]
Australia in Iraq (2003 – 2008)
We appreciate your patience while this page is under construction, bringing together material relating to the Australian deployments to Iraq between 2003 and 2008.
Status of Forces Agreement – Iraq (2014)
According to News Corp correspondent Paul Toohey, while elements of the Iraqi government had expressed concerns about agreements to allow foreign ground troops into the country, including Australia Special Operations Task Group, “the Australian F/A-18F Super Hornets flying combat missions over Iraq operate under an agreement separate to the planned SoFA. It was negotiated between Baghdad […]
Special Operations Task Group
The Special Forces Task Group, initially made up of “up to 200 personnel” deployed in September 2014 was located initially at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE. No details of the make-up of the SOTG were released, but according to Paul Toohey of News Corporation, the SOTG is “under the leadership of the 2nd Commando Regiment“. The […]
Air Task Group
In September 2014 the Australian government announced the deployment of an 600-person ADF contingent as part of a US-led coalition to attack Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIL) forces in Iraq. An initial RAAF element made up of: up to eight Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets a Boeing E-7A (737) Wedgetail airborne early warning & control aircraft an […]
Australian Embassy – Baghdad
Introduction Australian Embassy Baghdad International Zone, Baghdad Tel: +964 01 538 2100 Mobile: +964 780 923 7565 Email: austemb.baghdad@dfat.gov.au Consular Emergency (24 hours): +61 2 6261 3305 Ambassador (2015.08 – ): Christopher Langman Protection for the Australian Embassy in Baghdad was provided from 2003 to mid-2011 under Operation Kruger. Subsequently responsibility was handed over to a Dubai-based […]
2 October 2014 Swan Island incursion
Introduction On 2 October 2014, eight protesters from the Swan Island peace Convergence entered the restricted area of Swan Island, in two parties of four. After some time one group was arrested by Victoria Police in the military/SASR part of the facility located near its northeast tip. These protesters did not resist arrest, and the arrests […]
RAAF Base Curtin
Introduction Location: 17°36’18.0″S 123°49’15.0″E (-17.605000, 123.820833) Wikimapia; Google Maps RAAF Base Curtin is an Air Force facility located on the northern coast of Western Australia 40 kilometers southeast from the town of Derby. It is a so-called “bare-base” airfield, meaning that the base is minimally maintained by No. 322 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron (322ECSS) on a caretaker […]
HMAS Stirling – STSS
Secret satellite mission by US military teams, Philip Dorling, The Age, 8 February 2011 In what was codenamed Project Crok, personnel from the USAF space test group/space test operations squadron were deployed from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico to HMAS Stirling south of Perth and Fort Direction near Hobart. The US teams worked […]