Operation Resolute Five Years

2 August 2011

Sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen team up to mark five years of Operation RESOLUTE at HMAS Coonawarra.

Sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen team up to mark five years of Operation RESOLUTE at HMAS Coonawarra, Darwin NT. The group represents the tri-service contribution to border security operations including: Navy personnel onboard and supporting Armidale Class Patrol Boats crews, the Army's Northwest Mobile Force's Regional Force Surveilance Patrols and RAAF AP3C crews.

Operation RESOLUTE, as Joint Task Force 639, started on July 17 2006. Over the past five years, more than 1400 Armidale and Fremantle Class Patrol Boat and other major fleet unit personnel, about 9000 AP3C Orion flight hours and in excess of 7000 regional force surveillance man days have been committed to Joint Task Force 639, which covers not just Northern Australia’s coastline, but all of Australia’s maritime approaches.

Operation RESOLUTE follows on from Operation RELEX from 2001 to 2006. It is now part of the broader whole-of-government approach to maritime security under Border Protection Command (BPC).

BPC is commanded by Rear Admiral Tim Barrett who is also designated Commander JTF639. Headquarters JTF 639, located at Larrakeyah Barracks, Darwin, controls the ADF units assigned to Operation RESOLUTE.

As part of the whole-of-government operation, the ADF works alongside Customs, Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Australian Quarantine Inspection Service and Australian Federal Police.

Photos from Operation Resolute are available on the Navy Media Library.