Operation FRICTION
Encyclopedia
Operation FRICTION was a Canadian
military operation
that saw the contribution of 4,500 Canadian Forces
personnel to the 1991 Gulf War
. The US components, by far the largest, were Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
Canada suffered no casualties during the conflict but since its end many veterans have complained of suffering from Gulf War syndrome
.
order the destroyer
s and to assist with enforcing the United Nations
trade blockade against Iraq
. The supply ship was deployed with the destroyers to provide underway replenishment as well as command/control and at-sea medical services to the small task force which operated in the Persian Gulf
, Straits of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman
.
, AIRCOM
deployed two CF-18 Hornet
squadrons with support personnel from CFB Baden-Soellingen
in Germany
to a temporary base in Qatar
. Force Mobile Command
also sent a large field hospital to Qatar
to deal with casualties from the expected ground war.
During the Gulf War, Canada's CF-18 squadrons were integrated with Coalition air resources and provided combat air patrol
s as well as being involved in attacks of ground and water targets. This was the first time since the Korean War
that the Canadian military had participated in offensive combat operations.
Personnel were primarily attached to four units in the Persian Gulf region:
. It included a communications unit and various joint military staffs.
HMCS Terra Nova and HMCS Athabaskan escorted the United States hospital ships, USHS Comfort and USHS Mercy, the latter with CF medical staff on board. HMCS Protecteur, an auxiliary oil replenishment ship, serviced all nations involved in naval operations within the Gulf. Five Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King helicopters based at CFB Shearwater
and CFB Patricia's Bay
were also attached to the Naval Task Group, performing reconnaissance, mine
search and destroy, air-to-ship naval interdiction
, utility and command-and-liaison tasks.
As the conflict progressed, the Canadian Air Task Group took on other combat roles, such as sweep and escort for coalition bombing missions and later, air-to-ground bombing missions. Canadian airmen were credited for partially destroying an Iraqi patrol boat in the Persian Gulf, and completed 56 CF-18 bombing sorties against Iraqi forces.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
military operation
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
that saw the contribution of 4,500 Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
personnel to the 1991 Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. The US components, by far the largest, were Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
Canada suffered no casualties during the conflict but since its end many veterans have complained of suffering from Gulf War syndrome
Gulf War syndrome
Gulf War syndrome or Gulf War illness describes a medical condition that affected veterans and civilians who were near conflicts during or downwind of chemical weapons depot demolition, after the 1991 Gulf War. A wide range of acute and chronic symptoms have included fatigue, musculoskeletal...
.
Operation Friction
Operation FRICTION initially saw MARCOMCanadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
order the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and to assist with enforcing the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
trade blockade against Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The supply ship was deployed with the destroyers to provide underway replenishment as well as command/control and at-sea medical services to the small task force which operated in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, Straits of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman
Gulf of Oman
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman is a strait that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran...
.
The Gulf War
Following UN authorization of military force to remove Iraq from occupied territory in KuwaitKuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, AIRCOM
Canadian Forces Air Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
deployed two CF-18 Hornet
CF-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet is a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter aircraft, based on the American McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter. In 1980, the F/A-18 was selected as the winner of the New Fighter Aircraft competition, and a production order was awarded...
squadrons with support personnel from CFB Baden-Soellingen
CFB Baden-Soellingen
Canadian Forces Base Baden-Soellingen or CFB Baden-Soellingen was a Canadian Forces base located near the farming community of Söllingen, part of the municipality of Rheinmünster in the West German state of Baden-Württemberg...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to a temporary base in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
. Force Mobile Command
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
also sent a large field hospital to Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
to deal with casualties from the expected ground war.
During the Gulf War, Canada's CF-18 squadrons were integrated with Coalition air resources and provided combat air patrol
Combat air patrol
Combat air patrol is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft.A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, for the purpose of intercepting and destroying hostile...
s as well as being involved in attacks of ground and water targets. This was the first time since the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
that the Canadian military had participated in offensive combat operations.
CF components
Operation FRICTION saw approximately 4,500 CF personnel deployed to the Persian Gulf from August 1990-February 1991 with a peak deployment of 2,700 personnel during the Gulf War in January 1991.Personnel were primarily attached to four units in the Persian Gulf region:
- Canadian Task Group at sea
- the Canadian Air Task Group in Doha, Qatar
- the Joint Headquarters, Canadian Forces Middle East, in Manamah, Bahrain
- First Canadian Field Hospital at Al-Qaysumah
Joint headquarters
The headquarters of the Canadian Forces in the Middle East was a joint headquarters established on November 6, 1990, and commanded by Commodore Kenneth J. SummersKenneth J. Summers
Rear Admiral Kenneth J. Summers was a Canadian naval officer and the commander of the Canadian contribution to the Coalition of the Gulf War.He graduated from Royal Military College in Kingston in 1967 before serving as an officer both at sea and in several postings ashore...
. It included a communications unit and various joint military staffs.
Naval operations
Before the war began on January 16, 1991, Canada’s naval forces patrolled the central Persian Gulf. When hostilities commenced, Captain Duncan "Dusty" Miller, Commander of the Canadian Naval Task Group, became the multinational co-ordinator for a large naval combat logistics area established in the southern Persian Gulf.HMCS Terra Nova and HMCS Athabaskan escorted the United States hospital ships, USHS Comfort and USHS Mercy, the latter with CF medical staff on board. HMCS Protecteur, an auxiliary oil replenishment ship, serviced all nations involved in naval operations within the Gulf. Five Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King helicopters based at CFB Shearwater
CFB Shearwater
Canadian Forces Base Shearwater , commonly referred to as CFB Shearwater, was a Canadian Forces Base located in Shearwater, Nova Scotia on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality....
and CFB Patricia's Bay
No. 443 Squadron RCAF
443 "City of New Westminster" Maritime Helicopter Squadron is a Canadian Forces helicopter squadron under Royal Canadian Air Force, located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia...
were also attached to the Naval Task Group, performing reconnaissance, mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
search and destroy, air-to-ship naval interdiction
Air interdiction
Air interdiction is the use of aircraft to attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly ground forces. It differs from close air support because it does not directly support ground operations and is not closely coordinated with ground units...
, utility and command-and-liaison tasks.
Air operations
The CF provided combat air patrols in the north and central areas of the Persian Gulf. These patrols worked with the coalition air forces to protect coalition naval forces and land bases from Iraqi air attacks.As the conflict progressed, the Canadian Air Task Group took on other combat roles, such as sweep and escort for coalition bombing missions and later, air-to-ground bombing missions. Canadian airmen were credited for partially destroying an Iraqi patrol boat in the Persian Gulf, and completed 56 CF-18 bombing sorties against Iraqi forces.