• Starting points:
  • Australia in Afghanistan: Quick guide
  • Coalition policy in Afghanistan
  • Australian presence in the Afghanistan theatre
  • ADF bases and locations abroad

• Detailed site map

Note: For budgetary reasons, most sections of this Briefing Book, other than Australian Defence Facilities ceased being updated in December 2010. 

Australian military forces were committed to coalition military operations against the Taliban government of Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of what became Operation Enduring Freedom. Australian Defence Force activities in Afghanistan since that date have been known as Operation Slipper, “an important component of the Australian Government’s commitment to working together with the international community to help prevent acts of terrorism around the world.” As of October 2010 there were 1550* ADF personnel serving in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force deployed in the following groups:

• a National Command Element in Kabul;
• a Mentoring Task Force based in Tarin Kowt, Oruzgan Province as part of an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Provincial Reconstruction Team;
• a Special Operations Task Group deployed to Oruzgan province as part of ISAF operations against insurgents; and is being deployed to Kandahar to participate in the coalition’s Operation Moshtarak
• (withdrawn) a RAAF Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) deployed at Kandahar Air Field
• Rotary Air Wing with a Chinook helicopter detachment based at Kandahar in Helmand province in support of ISAF operations;
• a small Artillery Contingent of 16 soldiers deployed with British forces in Helmand province;
• an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Detachment of approximately 30 personnel and a new Heron detachment with more personnel
• Force Level Logistic Asset consisting of approximately 60 personnel at ISAF headquarters in Kandahar
• Three Operational Mentor and Liaison teams (OMLTs) embedded with the Afghan National Army in Oruzgan
• a Counter Improvised Explosive Device Task Force (C-IED TF);
• an ADF Engineering Team addressing accomodation and infrastructure issues at Camp Holland, Tarin Kowt;
• a Joint Movements Coordination Centre coordinates movements across the entire ADF Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO)
• a Force Communications Unit has elements at every location the ADF is deployed in the Middle Eastern Area of Operations (MEAO).
• a C-17 Globemaster Support Team providing routine strategic lift transport
• a Force Support Unit (FSU) of approximately 140 personnel in charge of logistics and supply for Afghanistan and the entire Middle East theater.

There are also Australian Federal Police operations in Afghanistan, and Australian Secret Intelligence Service personnel.

Project coordinator: Richard Tanter
Additional research: Arabella Imhoff
Updated: 21 October 2010