# Operation Relex
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{{Short description|Australian military immigration enforcement (2001–06)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Refimprove|date=February 2012}}
{{more footnotes|date=February 2012}}
'''Operation Relex''' is the name given to the [Australian Defence Force](/source/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](/source/Tampa_affair) in September 2001 and the Australian government's resultant [Pacific Solution](/source/Pacific_Solution). The focus of Operation Relex was [illegal immigration](/source/Illegal_immigration_to_Australia), with assets from all three services of the ADF deployed to prevent the arrival of [Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel](/source/Suspected_Illegal_Entry_Vessel)s (SIEVs) in the [Australian migration zone](/source/Australian_migration_zone).
The primary period of activity of Operation Relex was between October and December 2001 when ten SIEVs were intercepted by HMA Ships {{HMAS|Warramunga|FFH 152|2}}, {{HMAS|Arunta|FFH 151|2}}, and {{HMAS|Leeuwin|A 245|2}}, assisted by several [Fremantle-class patrol boat](/source/Fremantle-class_patrol_boat)s.
Operation Relex was folded into the broader border protection activity named [Operation Resolute](/source/Operation_Resolute) which commenced in July 2006. In 2013, the [Abbott government](/source/Abbott_government) implemented [Operation Sovereign Borders](/source/Operation_Sovereign_Borders).
==Operational Service Medal – Border Protection==
The Australian Government issued a medal for service on Border Protection on 22 May 2012.[{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/Medals/Content/Australian/Since-1975/AOSM-Border-Protection.asp|title=Australian Operational Service Medal – Border Protection|publisher=Australian Government, Department of Defence|access-date=17 May 2014}}]
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
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" colspan="1" | Rotation
! scope="col" | Date from
! scope="col" | Date to
! scope="col" | Ship(s)
! scope="col" | Unit/Sub Unit
|-
| TSE 1 ||OCT MID || DEC MID || TEMPA/HMAS MANOORA||5/7 RAR
|-
| TSE 1 ||MID NOVEMBER || EARLY DEC ||HMAS ARUNTA ||5/7 RAR
|-
| TSE 3 ||1 Sep ||1 Dec ||HMAS Leeuwin || 1st Armoured Regiment (Tank) and 5/7RAR
|-
| TSE 4 ||1 Sep ||1 Nov ||HMAS Tobruk || 1st Armoured Regiment (Tank)
|-
| TSE 5 || 1 Nov || 20 Jan 2 || HMA Ships Arunta and Warramunga || 101 MDM BTY, 8/12 Medium Regiment
|-
| TSE 6 ||1 Jan 2 ||18 Feb 2 ||HMAS Melville || 103 MDM BTY, 8/12 MDM REGT
|-
| TSE 7 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 8 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 9 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 10 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 11 || || ||HMAS ANZAC || 1st Armoured Regiment
|-
| TSE 12 ||27 March 2002 ||2 May 2002 ||HMAS Leeuwin & HMAS Melville ||1 CSSB + 5/7 RAR Detachment
|-
|}
==Op Relex II==
14 March 2002 to 16 July 2006
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" colspan="1" | Rotation
! scope="col" | Date from
! scope="col" | Date to
! scope="col" | Ship(s)
! scope="col" | Unit/Sub Unit
|-
| TSE 13 || || || HMAS Darwin || HQ BTY, 8/12 Medium Regiment
|-
| TSE 14 ||15 Apr 2 || 1 Jul 02|| HMAS Adelaide || 101 MDM BTY, 8/12 Medium Regiment
|-
| TSE 15 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 16 || || ||HMAS Melville & HMAS Leeuwin || 1st Combat Engineer Regiment
|-
| TSE 17 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 18 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 19 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 20 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 21 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 22 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 23 || 26 Oct 02|| 2 Feb 03|| HMAS Leeuwin, Warramunga & Tobruk || 1st Armoured/ 2 Cav Regiment
|-
| TSE 24 || 16 Sep 2 || 1 Jan 3 || HMAS Melville || 1 BDE
|-
| TSE 25 || 2 Jul|| 2 Sep|| HMAS Tobruk, Adelaide & Warramunga||2CER, 1 Fd Regt, 2/14 LHR
|-
| TSE 26 || 2 Dec|| 3 Mar|| HMAS Warramunga{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}|| 1 JSU, 16 ADR, 4th MP Company
|-
| TSE 27 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 28 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 29 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 30 || || || ||
|-
| TSE 31 || || || || 4 Field Regiment
|-
| TSE 32 || Feb 2004 ||May 2004||HMAS Anzac, HMAS Warramunga, HMAS Adelaide|| 1st Field Regiment (now 1st Regiment)
|-
| TSE 35 || Oct 2004 || 4 Feb || HMAS Ballarat, Parramatta || 2 DIV units/ 8 BDE
|-
|}
==HMA Ships Involved in Op Relex==
'''Major Fleet Units'''
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" colspan="1" |
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Relex
|-
! Unit !! Entered Operation !! Exited Operation
|-
| HMAS Adelaide || 19 Sep 1 || 12 Oct 1
|-
| HMAS Anzac || 19 Jan 2 || 7 Apr 2
|-
| HMAS Arunta|| 2 Sep 1 || 20 Sep 1
|-
| || 10 Oct 1 || 19 Dec 1
|-
| HMAS Newcastle || 30 Aug 1 || 28 Sep 1
|-
| HMAS Warramunga || 30 Aug 1 || 23 Sep 1
|-
| || 27 Sep 1 || 14 Nov 1
|-
| || 19 Dec 1 || 20 Jan 2
|-
| HMAS Manoora || 2 Sep 1 || 6 Oct 1
|-
| HMAS Tobruk || 10 Sep 1 || 14 Dec 1
|-
| HMAS Westralia || 30 Aug 1 || 24 Sep 1
|-
| || 27 Sep 1 || 29 Sep 1
|-
| || 11 Oct 1 || 17 Oct 1
|-
| || 30 Oct 1 || 3 Nov 1
|-
| || 15 Nov 1 || 26 Nov 1
|-
| || 18 Jan 2 || 20 Jan 2
|-
| HMAS Leeuwin || 14 Nov 1 || 2 Jan 2
|-
| || 16 Feb 2 || 14 Apr 2
|-
| HMAS Melville || 30 Dec 1 || 18 Feb 2
|}
'''Patrol Boats'''
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" colspan="1" |
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Relex
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Cranberry
|-
! Unit !! Entered Operation!! Exited Operation !! Entered Operation !! Exited Operation
|-
| HMAS Bendigo || 30 Sep 1 || 2 Oct 1 || 21 Sep 1 || 3- 1 Sep
|-
| || 16 Oct || 18 Oct 1 || 2 Oct 1 || 16 Oct 1
|-
| || 23 Oct 1 ||1 Nov 1 || 18 Oct 01|| 23 Oct 1
|-
| || 1 Feb 02|| 1 Nov 01|| 18 Oct 01|| 19 Nov 1
|-
| || 9 Feb 02||12 Feb 2 || 11 Jan 02|| 21 Jan 2
|-
| || 15 Feb 2 || 21 Feb 2 || 25 Jan 02|| 1 Feb 2
|-
| || 25 Feb 02|| 27 Feb 02|| 3 Feb 02|| 6 Feb 2
|-
| || 2 Mar 02|| 4 Mar 02|| 9 Feb 02|| 9 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 12 Feb 2 || 15 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 27 Feb 02|| 15 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 4 Mar 02|| 8 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 1 Apr 02|| 9 Apr 2
|-
| HMAS Bunbury || 30 Sep 1 || 1 Oct 01|| 25 Sep 01|| 30 Sep 1
|-
| || 20 Oct 01|| 26 Oct 01|| 1 Oct 01|| 20 Oct 1
|-
| || 30 Oct 01|| 3 Nov 01|| 26 Oct 01|| 30 Oct 1
|-
| || 9 Nov 01|| 15 Nov 01|| 3 Nov 01|| 9 Nov 1
|-
| || 11 Feb 02|| 17 Feb 02|| 15 Nov 01|| 19 Nov 1
|-
| || 20 Feb 02|| 25 Feb 02|| 2 Feb 02|| 11 Feb 2
|-
| || 27 Feb 02|| 28 Feb 02|| 17 Feb 02|| 27 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 28 Feb 02|| 6 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 8 Mar 02|| 11 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 15 Mar 02|| 18 Mar 2
|-
| HMAS Cessnock|| 5 Nov 1 ||7 Nov 01|| 10 Aug 01|| 23 Aug 1
|-
| || 12 Nov 01|| 16 Nov 01|| 14 Sep 01|| 24 Sep 1
|-
| || 1 Dec 01|| 4 Dec 01|| 2 Nov 01|| 5 Nov 1
|-
| || 8 Dec 01|| 13 Dec 01|| 7 Nov 01|| 12 Nov 1
|-
| || 18 Dec 01|| 21 Dec 01|| 16 Nov 01|| 1 Dec 1
|-
| || 4 Mar 02|| 6 Mar || 4 Dec 1 || 8 Dec 1
|-
| || 7 Mar 02|| 8 Mar 02|| 13 Dec 01|| 16 Dec 1
|-
| || 1 Mar 02|| 6 Mar 02|| 21 Dec 01|| 7 Jan 2
|-
| || 9 Mar 02|| 12 Mar 02|| 18 Feb 02|| 25 Feb 2
|-
| || 14 Mar 02|| 14 Mar 02|| 6 Mar 02|| 8 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 9 Mar 02|| 23 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 27 Mar 02|| 29 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 6 Apr 02|| 8 Apr 2
|-
| HMAS Dubbo|| 15 Sep 01|| 17 Sep 01|| 7 Sep 01|| 15 Sep 1
|-
| || 13 Oct 01|| 16 Oct 01|| 17 Sep 01|| 13 Oct 1
|-
| || 2 Nov 01|| 8 Nov 01|| 16 Oct 01|| 2 Nov 1
|-
| || 8 Nov 01|| 10 Nov 01|| 8 Nov 01|| 8 Nov 1
|-
| || || || 10 Nov 01|| 12 Nov 1
|-
| || || || 23 Mar 02|| 25 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 28 Mar 02|| 1 Apr 2
|-
| || || || 6 Apr 02|| 10 Apr 2
|-
| || || || 11 Apr 02|| 10 Apr 2
|-
| || || || 16 Apr 02|| 17 Apr 2
|-
| HMAS Ipswich|| 22 Dec 01|| 28 Dec 01|| 17 Aug 01|| 20 Aug 1
|-
| || 2 Jan 02|| 5 Jan 02|| 11 Oct 01|| 15 Oct 1
|-
| || 11 Jan 02|| 15 Jan 02|| 7 Dec 01|| 22 Dec 1
|-
| || 23 Jan 02|| 26 Jan 02|| 28 Dec 01|| 2 Jan 2
|-
| || || || 5 Jan 02|| 12 Jan 2
|-
| || || || 15 Jan 02|| 23 Jan 2
|-
| || || || 15 Jan 02|| 23 Jan 2
|-
| || || || 26 Jan 02|| 4 Feb 2
|-
| HMAS Launceston|| 6 Nov 01|| 11 Nov 01|| 16 Aug 01|| 17 Sep 1
|-
| || 12 Dec 01|| 16 Dec 01|| 3 Nov 01|| 6 Nov 1
|-
| || 17 Dec 01|| 18 Dec 1 || 11 Nov 1 || 17 Nov 1
|-
| || 19 Feb 01|| 23 Feb 2 || 19 Nov 1 || 23 Nov 1
|-
| || 27 Feb 02|| 2 Mar 02|| 15 Feb 02|| 19 Feb 2
|-
| || 7 Mar 02|| 10 Mar 02|| 23 Feb 02|| 27 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 2 Mar 02|| 7 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 10 Mar 02|| 16 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 24 Mar 2 || 25 Mar 2
|-
| HMAS Townsville|| 12 Oct 01|| 18 Oct 01|| 29 Jul 01|| 3 Aug 1
|-
| || 23 Oct 01|| 28 Oct 01|| 21 Sep 01|| 12 Oct 1
|-
| || 21 Jan 02|| 26 Jan 02|| 18 Oct 02|| 23 Oct 2
|-
| || 30 Jan 02|| 4 Feb 02|| 26 Jan 02|| 30 Jan 2
|-
| || || || 4 Jan 02|| 21 Jan 2
|-
| || || || 26 Jan 02|| 30 Jan 2
|-
| || || || 4 Feb 02|| 9 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 12 Feb 02|| 23 Feb 2
|-
| HMAS Townsville || 24 Nov 1 || 28 Nov 1 || 8 Nov 1 || 24 Nov 1
|-
| || 4 Dec 1 || 6 Dec 1 || 28 Nov 1 || 4 Dec 1
|-
| || 15 Feb 2 || 21 Feb 2 || 6 Dec 1 || 10 Dec 1
|-
| || 25 Feb 2 || 28 Feb 2 || 14 Feb 2 || 15 Feb 2
|-
| || 11 Mar 2 || (16 Mar 2) || 21 Feb 2 || 25 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 28 Feb 2 || 4 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 8 Mar 2 || 1 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 16 Mar 2 || 18 Mar 2
|-
| || || || 30 Mar 2 || 5 Apr 1
|-
| || || || 11 Apr 2 || 15 Apr 2
|-
| HMAS Whyalla || 9 Oct 1 || 14 Oct 1 || 14 Sep 1 || 18 Sep 1
|-
| || 18 Oct 1 || 24 Oct 1 || 21 Sep 1 || 7 Oct 1
|-
| || 26 Dec 1 || 30 Dec 1 || 14 Oct 1 || 18 Oct 1
|-
| || 4 Jan 2 || 9 Jan 2 || 24 Oct 1 || 12 Nov 1
|-
| || 13 Jan 2 || 18 Jan 2 || 30 Dec 1 || 4 Jan 2
|-
| || || || 5 Jan 2 || 13 Jan 2
|-
| || || || 18 Jan 2 || 4 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 29 Mar 2 || 10 Apr 2
|-
| || || || 11 Apr 2 || 16 Apr 2
|-
| || || || 16 Apr 2 || 16 Apr 2
|-
| || || || 17 Apr 2 || NDA
|-
| HMAS Wollongong|| 27 Oct 01|| 3 Nov 01|| 27 Oct 01|| 27 Oct 1
|-
| || 6 Nov 01|| 13 Nov 01|| 3 Oct 01|| 6 Nov 1
|-
| || 28 Nov 01|| 1 Dec 01|| 13 Dec 1 || 28 Nov 1
|-
| || 28 Jan 02|| 30 Jan 02|| 1 Dec 1 || 9 Dec 1
|-
| || 3 Feb 02|| 7 Feb 2 || 14 Dec 1 || 17 Dec 1
|-
| || 13 Feb 02|| 16 Feb 02|| 30 Dec 01|| 9 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 30 Jan 02|| 3 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 7 Feb 2 || 13 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 16 Feb 2 || 18 Feb 2
|-
| || || || 13 Apr 2 || 15 Apr 2
|-
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/opresolute/|title=Operation RESOLUTE|publisher=Department of Defence|access-date=4 November 2013}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/oprelex2/|title=Operation RELEX II |publisher=Department of Defence|access-date=16 May 2014}}
{{refend}}
Category:2001 in Australia
Relex
Category:Suspected Illegal Entry Vessels
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Operation Relex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Relex) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Relex?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.