OMEN
05-08-2006, 12:16 PM
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Deployment ... 240 Australian soldiers will go to Afghanistan.
A 240-member Australian Defence Force team would take on a "risky mission" in Afghanistan from July, Prime Minister John Howard said today.
Mr Howard said the team would be based in Afghanistan's Oruzgan Province and would operate with a Netherlands task group.
"It will be known as a reconstruction task force (RTF). It will work on reconstruction and community based projects as part of Australia's commitment to securing a stable and democratic future for Afghanistan," he said.
Mr Howard said the Government also had decided to extend the deployment of two Chinook heavy transport helicopters to April 2007 to support the RTF and the Netherlands-led provincial reconstruction team.
The two Chinooks and their 110 support personnel are currently supporting operations of the Australian special forces task group.
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said the deployment would cost "around $270 million"."Whilst Afghanistan is remote for Australia, this is very much in the interest of the next generation fighting terrorism in this country," Mr Nelson said.
Dr Nelson said about half of the 240 personnel would be tradesmen and engineers.
He said they would build water reticulation programs, roads, flood mitigation measures "and a variety of infrastructure projects, which are nominated by the Afghanis themselves".
The other half of the Australian force will be light infantry, including Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAVs) and Bushmasters - vehicles designed for demanding terrain.
“The Australian reconstruction taskforce will be under Australian command, their immediate protection will be provided by Australian infantry and cavalry,” Dr Nelson said.
However, Australia would work with Dutch military forces, he said.
“They (the Dutch) are deploying about 1400 (personnel), including F-16s and Apache helicopters,” he said.
“We are very impressed with the military capability of the Dutch forces that are being deployed to Afghanistan.
“We're very confident that we'll be able to work with them very closely and we're very confident in their abilities.”
Mr Howard said this would be a risky mission.
“I have never in any of the commitments we have made pretended to the Australian public that they are risk-free and there won't be casualties,” he said.
“We have been very fortunate and that is both providential and also a product of the extensive training and the great care we take to ensure maximum safety.”
Mr Howard said he would not discuss specifics of where the Australian reconstruction team would be located, other than that it would be in Oruzgan province in the country's south-central region.
“Afghanistan is in many places dangerous and that has been evident from the casualties that have been suffered by other forces in recent days and this is a risky mission,'' he said.
“It is a reminder to all Australians again of the risks that are undertaken by our men and women when they go overseas.''
NewsAU
Deployment ... 240 Australian soldiers will go to Afghanistan.
A 240-member Australian Defence Force team would take on a "risky mission" in Afghanistan from July, Prime Minister John Howard said today.
Mr Howard said the team would be based in Afghanistan's Oruzgan Province and would operate with a Netherlands task group.
"It will be known as a reconstruction task force (RTF). It will work on reconstruction and community based projects as part of Australia's commitment to securing a stable and democratic future for Afghanistan," he said.
Mr Howard said the Government also had decided to extend the deployment of two Chinook heavy transport helicopters to April 2007 to support the RTF and the Netherlands-led provincial reconstruction team.
The two Chinooks and their 110 support personnel are currently supporting operations of the Australian special forces task group.
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said the deployment would cost "around $270 million"."Whilst Afghanistan is remote for Australia, this is very much in the interest of the next generation fighting terrorism in this country," Mr Nelson said.
Dr Nelson said about half of the 240 personnel would be tradesmen and engineers.
He said they would build water reticulation programs, roads, flood mitigation measures "and a variety of infrastructure projects, which are nominated by the Afghanis themselves".
The other half of the Australian force will be light infantry, including Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAVs) and Bushmasters - vehicles designed for demanding terrain.
“The Australian reconstruction taskforce will be under Australian command, their immediate protection will be provided by Australian infantry and cavalry,” Dr Nelson said.
However, Australia would work with Dutch military forces, he said.
“They (the Dutch) are deploying about 1400 (personnel), including F-16s and Apache helicopters,” he said.
“We are very impressed with the military capability of the Dutch forces that are being deployed to Afghanistan.
“We're very confident that we'll be able to work with them very closely and we're very confident in their abilities.”
Mr Howard said this would be a risky mission.
“I have never in any of the commitments we have made pretended to the Australian public that they are risk-free and there won't be casualties,” he said.
“We have been very fortunate and that is both providential and also a product of the extensive training and the great care we take to ensure maximum safety.”
Mr Howard said he would not discuss specifics of where the Australian reconstruction team would be located, other than that it would be in Oruzgan province in the country's south-central region.
“Afghanistan is in many places dangerous and that has been evident from the casualties that have been suffered by other forces in recent days and this is a risky mission,'' he said.
“It is a reminder to all Australians again of the risks that are undertaken by our men and women when they go overseas.''
NewsAU