Operation Relex

Operation Relex is the name given to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) border protection operation in the country's northern approaches conducted between 2001 and 2006. The operation was instigated following the Tampa affair in September 2001 and the Australian government's resultant Pacific Solution. The focus of Operation Relex was illegal immigration, with assets from all three services of the ADF deployed to prevent the arrival of Suspected Illegal Entry Vessels (SIEV) in the Australian migration zone.

The primary period of activity of Operation Relex was between October and December 2001 when ten SIEV were intercepted by HMA Ships Warramunga, Arunta, and Leeuwin, assisted by several Fremantle-class patrol boats.

Operation Relex was folded into the broader border protection activity named Operation Resolute which commenced in July 2006. In 2013, the Abbott Government implemented Operation Sovereign Borders.

Operational Service Medal – Border Protection

The Australian Government issued a medal for service on Border Protection on 22 May 2012.[1]

To qualify, ADF members must have been deployed or force assigned for duty as a member of a declared operation:

  • for a period of not less than an aggregate of 30 days; or
  • completed 30 sorties from a unit assigned to a declared operation, provided that those sorties were conducted over a period of not less than an aggregate of 30 days at a rate of one sortie per day.

Op Relex

3 September to 13 March 2002

Rotation Date from Date to Ship(s) Unit/Sub Unit
TSE 1OCT MIDDEC MIDTEMPA5/7 RAR
TSE 1MID NOVEMBEREARLY DECHMAS ARUNTA5/7 RAR
TSE 31 Sep1 DecHMAS Lewin1st Armoured Regiment (Tank) and 5/7RAR
TSE 41 Sep1 NovHMAS Tobruk1st Armoured Regiment (Tank)
TSE 51 Nov20 Jan 2HMA Ships Arunta and Warramunga101 MDM BTY, 8/12 Medium Regiment
TSE 61 Jan 218 Feb 2HMAS Melville103 MDM BTY, 8/12 MDM REGT
TSE 7
TSE 8
TSE 9
TSE 10
TSE 11HMAS ANZAC1st Armoured Regiment
TSE 1227 March 20022 May 2002HMAS Leeuwin & HMAS Melville1 CSSB + 5/7 RAR Detachment

Op Relex II

14 March 2002 to 16 July 2006

Rotation Date from Date to Ship(s) Unit/Sub Unit
TSE 13HMAS DarwinHQ BTY, 8/12 Medium Regiment
TSE 1415 Apr 21 Jul 02HMAS Adelaide101 MDM BTY, 8/12 Medium Regiment
TSE 15
TSE 16
TSE 17
TSE 18
TSE 19
TSE 20
TSE 21
TSE 22
TSE 2326 Oct 022 Feb 03HMAS Leeuwin, Warramunga & Tobruk1st Armoured/ 2 Cav Regiment
TSE 2416 Sep 21 Jan 3HMAS Melville1 BDE
TSE 252 Jul2 SepHMAS Tobruk, Adelaide & Warramunga2CER, 1 Fd Regt, 2/14 LHR
TSE 262 Dec3 MarHMAS Warramunga1 JSU, 16 ADR, 4th MP Company
TSE 27
TSE 28
TSE 29
TSE 30
TSE 314 Field Regiment
TSE 32Feb 2004May 2004HMAS Anzac, HMAS Warramunga, HMAS Adelaide1st Field Regiment (now 1st Regiment)
TSE 35Oct 20044 FebHMAS Ballarat, Parramatta2 DIV units/ 8 BDE

HMA Ships Involved in Op Relex

Major Fleet Units

Relex
UnitEntered OperationExited Operation
HMAS Adelaide19 Sep 112 Oct 1
HMAS Anzac19 Jan 27 Apr 2
HMAS Arunta2 Sep 120 Sep 1
10 Oct 119 Dec 1
HMAS Newcastle30 Aug 128 Sep 1
HMAS Warramunga30 Aug 123 Sep 1
27 Sep 114 Nov 1
19 Dec 120 Jan 2
HMAS Manoora2 Sep 16 Oct 1
HMAS Tobruk10 Sep 114 Dec 1
HMAS Westralia30 Aug 124 Sep 1
27 Sep 129 Sep 1
11 Oct 117 Oct 1
30 Oct 13 Nov 1
15 Nov 126 Nov 1
18 Jan 220 Jan 2
HMAS Leeuwin14 Nov 12 Jan 2
16 Feb 214 Apr 2
HMAS Melville30 Dec 118 Feb 2

Patrol Boats

Relex Cranberry
UnitEntered OperationExited OperationEntered OperationExited Operation
HMAS Bendigo30 Sep 12 Oct 121 Sep 13- 1 Sep
16 Oct18 Oct 12 Oct 116 Oct 1
23 Oct 11 Nov 118 Oct 0123 Oct 1
1 Feb 021 Nov 0118 Oct 0119 Nov 1
9 Feb 0212 Feb 211 Jan 0221 Jan 2
15 Feb 221 Feb 225 Jan 021 Feb 2
25 Feb 0227 Feb 023 Feb 026 Feb 2
2 Mar 024 Mar 029 Feb 029 Feb 2
12 Feb 215 Feb 2
27 Feb 0215 Feb 2
4 Mar 028 Mar 2
1 Apr 029 Apr 2
HMAS Bunbury30 Sep 11 Oct 0125 Sep 0130 Sep 1
20 Oct 0126 Oct 011 Oct 0120 Oct 1
30 Oct 013 Nov 0126 Oct 0130 Oct 1
9 Nov 0115 Nov 013 Nov 019 Nov 1
11 Feb 0217 Feb 0215 Nov 0119 Nov 1
20 Feb 0225 Feb 022 Feb 0211 Feb 2
27 Feb 0228 Feb 0217 Feb 0227 Feb 2
28 Feb 026 Mar 2
8 Mar 0211 Mar 2
15 Mar 0218 Mar 2
HMAS Cessnock5 Nov 17 Nov 0110 Aug 0123 Aug 1
12 Nov 0116 Nov 0114 Sep 0124 Sep 1
1 Dec 014 Dec 012 Nov 015 Nov 1
8 Dec 0113 Dec 017 Nov 0112 Nov 1
18 Dec 0121 Dec 0116 Nov 011 Dec 1
4 Mar 026 Mar4 Dec 18 Dec 1
7 Mar 028 Mar 0213 Dec 0116 Dec 1
1 Mar 026 Mar 0221 Dec 017 Jan 2
9 Mar 0212 Mar 0218 Feb 0225 Feb 2
14 Mar 0214 Mar 026 Mar 028 Mar 2
9 Mar 0223 Mar 2
27 Mar 0229 Mar 2
6 Apr 028 Apr 2
HMAS Dubbo15 Sep 0117 Sep 017 Sep 0115 Sep 1
13 Oct 0116 Oct 0117 Sep 0113 Oct 1
2 Nov 018 Nov 0116 Oct 012 Nov 1
8 Nov 0110 Nov 018 Nov 018 Nov 1
10 Nov 0112 Nov 1
23 Mar 0225 Mar 2
28 Mar 021 Apr 2
6 Apr 0210 Apr 2
11 Apr 0210 Apr 2
16 Apr 0217 Apr 2
HMAS Ipswich22 Dec 0128 Dec 0117 Aug 0120 Aug 1
2 Jan 025 Jan 0211 Oct 0115 Oct 1
11 Jan 0215 Jan 027 Dec 0122 Dec 1
23 Jan 0226 Jan 0228 Dec 012 Jan 2
5 Jan 0212 Jan 2
15 Jan 0223 Jan 2
15 Jan 0223 Jan 2
26 Jan 024 Feb 2
HMAS Launceston6 Nov 0111 Nov 0116 Aug 0117 Sep 1
12 Dec 0116 Dec 013 Nov 016 Nov 1
17 Dec 0118 Dec 111 Nov 117 Nov 1
19 Feb 0123 Feb 219 Nov 123 Nov 1
27 Feb 022 Mar 0215 Feb 0219 Feb 2
7 Mar 0210 Mar 0223 Feb 0227 Feb 2
2 Mar 027 Mar 2
10 Mar 0216 Mar 2
24 Mar 225 Mar 2
HMAS Townsville12 Oct 0118 Oct 0129 Jul 013 Aug 1
23 Oct 0128 Oct 0121 Sep 0112 Oct 1
21 Jan 0226 Jan 0218 Oct 0223 Oct 2
30 Jan 024 Feb 0226 Jan 0230 Jan 2
4 Jan 0221 Jan 2
26 Jan 0230 Jan 2
4 Feb 029 Feb 2
12 Feb 0223 Feb 2
HMAS Townsville24 Nov 128 Nov 18 Nov 124 Nov 1
4 Dec 16 Dec 128 Nov 14 Dec 1
15 Feb 221 Feb 26 Dec 110 Dec 1
25 Feb 228 Feb 214 Feb 215 Feb 2
11 Mar 2(16 Mar 2)21 Feb 225 Feb 2
28 Feb 24 Mar 2
8 Mar 21 Mar 2
16 Mar 218 Mar 2
30 Mar 25 Apr 1
11 Apr 215 Apr 2
HMAS Whyalla9 Oct 114 Oct 114 Sep 118 Sep 1
18 Oct 124 Oct 121 Sep 17 Oct 1
26 Dec 130 Dec 114 Oct 118 Oct 1
4 Jan 29 Jan 224 Oct 112 Nov 1
13 Jan 218 Jan 230 Dec 14 Jan 2
5 Jan 213 Jan 2
18 Jan 24 Feb 2
29 Mar 210 Apr 2
11 Apr 216 Apr 2
16 Apr 216 Apr 2
17 Apr 2NDA
HMAS Wollongong27 Oct 013 Nov 0127 Oct 0127 Oct 1
6 Nov 0113 Nov 013 Oct 016 Nov 1
28 Nov 011 Dec 0113 Dec 128 Nov 1
28 Jan 0230 Jan 021 Dec 19 Dec 1
3 Feb 027 Feb 214 Dec 117 Dec 1
13 Feb 0216 Feb 0230 Dec 019 Feb 2
30 Jan 023 Feb 2
7 Feb 213 Feb 2
16 Feb 218 Feb 2
13 Apr 215 Apr 2

References

  1. "Australian Operational Service Medal – Border Protection". Australian Government, Department of Defence. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
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