Australia in Afghanistan Briefing Book

• Starting points:
• Australia in Afghanistan: Quick guide
• Coalition policy in Afghanistan
• War in Afghanistan: State of play
• ADF - enemy engagements
• ADF bases and locations abroad

• Detailed site map

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 April 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 and Reconstruction 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• (withdrawn) a RAAF Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) deployed at Kandahar Air Field
• 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 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.

* Minister for Defence, Senator Faulkner: "On current operational planning, Australia will maintain an average personnel level of around 1,550 throughout 2010.  I say ‘average’ because shifting operational requirements mean troop numbers in theatre inevitably fluctuate."

Project coordinator: Richard Tanter
Additional research: Arabella Imhoff
Ronald Li
Updated: 18 April 2010