RAAF/RAN-FAA in combat, challenge.

Could Papua New Guinea have imploded enough for the Aussies to send troops in to restore order? With airstrikes against seccessionist targets?
 
Does Indonesia have a territorial dispute with Brunei (somewhere at the back of my mind I thought it did but couldn't find a reference).

If so, say have poor relations between Indonesia and UK/Brunei in 1982. Indonesia decides that whilst the UK is distracted 'down south' it will 'resolve' its issues with Brunei and starts an attack. Australia and NZ declare that in the name of Commonwealth brotherhood that they will fulfill the UK's committment to Brunei.

Brunei is somewhat rich on oil, and it is in Borneo. In an ultranationalist scramble with Indonesia, Brunei will be invaded (especially in the 1960s, Brunei was raided several times by the Indonesian special forces).

Brunei did have a Socialist party in the early 1960s, called the Brunei's People Party. It was led by Mahmud Azhari of Malaysian origin but was educated in Java and fought againts the Dutch aggression of 1947. He was jailed several times in Singapore and Malaysia (spreading Socialist ideas, several armed protests), but in 1962 he kind of led the Brunei Insurrection (official leader was someone I can't remember) to separate Brunei from the Malaysian Federation and make a country called 'North Kalimantan'.

The revolt was kinda successful until the British lent a hand and quelled it. Then Azhari fled to Jakarta, where he tried to garner support but was then exiled to Borneo. If only he could have gotten more support (and arrived at the right time, 1963 wasn't the Socialist's Year) and baited Indonesia to invade Brunei...
 
I'd imagne that if Aus stated that it would be willing to shoot to defend Brunei any crisis would fizzle quickly enough.

What about Thailand, I work with a bloke who, fresh out of ADG training, was on the Thai border gaurding against frisky communists in the mid 80s. Could a confrontation arise that could see Australia be involved but the US keeping a low profile?

For the most of the 1960s-70s Thailand was ruled by some military junta.

Yes, the 1980s were tense times for Thailand. In the 1980s (1978-1988) the Vietnamese in Kampuchea made border-crossing raids to disable the Khmer Rogue (at least, that's what they said). These crossing missions sometimes turned into bloody skirmishes, especially from 1985-88.

A full war was never declared, though those border crossing raids continued. I think this was what your friend was talking about, and should it develop into full scale war, America would've still been raw over the defeat in Vietnam, and would not likely have been involved.

How to put Australia into this, though?
 
Brunei is somewhat rich on oil, and it is in Borneo. In an ultranationalist scramble with Indonesia, Brunei will be invaded (especially in the 1960s, Brunei was raided several times by the Indonesian special forces).

Brunei did have a Socialist party in the early 1960s, called the Brunei's People Party. It was led by Mahmud Azhari of Malaysian origin but was educated in Java and fought againts the Dutch aggression of 1947. He was jailed several times in Singapore and Malaysia (spreading Socialist ideas, several armed protests), but in 1962 he kind of led the Brunei Insurrection (official leader was someone I can't remember) to separate Brunei from the Malaysian Federation and make a country called 'North Kalimantan'.

The revolt was kinda successful until the British lent a hand and quelled it. Then Azhari fled to Jakarta, where he tried to garner support but was then exiled to Borneo. If only he could have gotten more support (and arrived at the right time, 1963 wasn't the Socialist's Year) and baited Indonesia to invade Brunei...

Any Indonesian attempts to acquire the Kingdom of Brunei equals an invasion of Malaysia, given that the whole of Brunei is surrounded by Malaysian territory. That probably means automatic activation of the FPDA and intervention of the ADF.
 
Any Indonesian attempts to acquire the Kingdom of Brunei equals an invasion of Malaysia, given that the whole of Brunei is surrounded by Malaysian territory. That probably means automatic activation of the FPDA and intervention of the ADF.

The Five Power Defence Arrangement? AFAIK it was signed in 1971, several years after the 'Ultranationalist Spirit' led by Sukarno. I doubt Suharto would be as Ultranationalistic as to invade other countries.
 
The problem here is there is a shortage of possible opponents other than Indonesia unless we develop a new conflict further away and have the Aussies get involved.

I do like the Thailand idea but how about something a little different :) Perhaps an India-China conflict with a Commonwealth support force sent to support India , maybe the UK, Australia, NZ and Canada declare that in memory of the support India gave during WW2 they now stand by India in its time of need?
 
The challenge is to have the RAAF and/or RAN-FAA engage in combat between 1971 and 2003. Bonus points if either can get an air to air victory and if Indonesia is not the target.
The easy way out is to have an RAAF or FAA pilot on exchange with the US or UK fly combat missions. Of cause that may not really be in the spirit of the challange...
 
It's morbid, but how about the RAAF shooting down a hijacked plane during some sort of terrorist atrocity on Australia that is headed in to one of Australia's most famous landmarks?

What about Australian planes who are enforcing a no-fly zone over post-Gulf War Iraq shooting down an Iraqi fighter jet that has been sent to intercept them?

Other than that, I can't believe nobody has mentioned the secret defence agreement between Australia and New Zealand should the sheep ever arise against the Kiwi state.
 
What would the POD have to be to have the RAN adopt the Sea Harrier as it's main aircraft at the same time as the RN? Then to keep the Melbourne in service adapted similarly to HMS Hermes. Then it would only take the Melbourne being part of a flotilla visiting Chile in March 1982 for them to rendezvous with the Task Force for the liberation of South Georgia in April 1982 and then take part in the rest of the campaign.
 
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