Australian contribution to the 1991 Gulf War Australia was a member of the international coalition which contributed military forces to the 1991 Gulf War , also known as Operation Desert Storm . While the Australian forces did not see combat , they did play a significant role in enforcing the sanctions put in place against Iraq following the invasion of Kuwait , as well as other small support contributions to Operation Desert Storm . Overview . Australia ' s contribution to the 1991 Gulf War centred around a Naval Task Group which formed part of the multi - national fleet in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman , under Operation Damask . In addition , medical teams were deployed aboard a US hospital ship and a naval clearance diving team took part in de - mining Kuwait ' s port facilities at the end of the war . Following the end of the war Australia deployed a medical unit on Operation Habitat to northern Iraq as part of Operation Provide Comfort . Royal Australian Navy warships were periodically deployed to the Persian Gulf to enforce sanctions against Iraq until the 2003 Invasion of Iraq . While there were proposals to deploy other units ( including an apparent US request for RF - 111 reconnaissance aircraft ) these proposals came to nothing and no Australian Army or Royal Australian Air Force combat units were deployed . While some publications suggest that the Australian Special Air Service Regiment ( SASR ) took part in the war , this is not correct ( though the SASR was brought to a higher state of readiness and a very small number of personnel on exchange to the British SAS saw action ) . Royal Australian Navy . Operation Damask I ( 6 September 1990 – 3 December 1990 ) Task Group 627 . 4 Operation Damask II ( 3 December 1990 – 28 May 1991 ) Task Group 627 . 4 Operation Damask III ( 13 June 1991 – 4 September 1991 ) Operation Damask VI ( October 1992 - April 1993 ) Other Deployments Task Group Medical Support Elements ( served aboard USS Comfort ) Clearance Diving Team 3 operated in the theatre from 27 January 1991 to 10 May 1991 . It was involved in mine clearing operations in Kuwait from 5 March to 19 April 1991 . Royal Australian Air Force . RAAF C - 130 aircraft from No . 36 and No . 37 Squadrons provided a shuttle service between Australia and the Persian Gulf . Boeing 707 aircraft from No . 33 Squadron and VIP aircraft from No . 34 Squadron also flew to the Middle East . A small team of RAAF photo - interpreters was posted to Saudi Arabia . Intelligence analysts from the RAAF and Defence Intelligence Organisation were also posted to Saudi Arabia . Australian Army . The only formed Australian Army units to participate in the Persian Gulf War were anti - aircraft missile teams from the 16th Air Defence Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery who , equipped with RBS 70 missiles , provided point defence to HMAS " Success " and HMAS " Westralia " . A small number of Australians ( mainly Army officers ) on exchange to US and British units saw action in the Persian Gulf with those units . Operation Provide Comfort / Operation Habitat ( 16 May 1991 – 30 June 1991 ) . The Australian Army and Air Force provided personnel to Operation Habitat , the Australian contribution to Operation Provide Comfort , the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kurds living in the UN - declared exclusion zone in northern Iraq .