FACTSHEET: Emergency in Lebanon

UK MILITARY UNITS INVOLVED (as at 20 July 2006):

The total number of UK military personnel committed to the operation (including Ships' companies) is around 2,500.

Royal Navy

• HMS GLOUCESTER
• HMS YORK
• HMS ILLUSTRIOUS
• HMS BULWARK
• RFA FORT VICTORIA
• HMS ST ALBANS
• 846 Naval Air Squadron operating RN SeaKing Mk4 Helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton

Royal Air Force

• 27 Squadron RAF operating Chinook Helicopters from RAF Odiham
• RAF Air Transport Fleet assets (including Tristar, C17, C130 and VC10)
• Additional support personnel and equipment deployed to RAF Akrotiri to enable increased operations.

British Army

• Spearhead Land Element (SLE - approximately 800 personnel in total) comprising an Infantry Battalion Tactical HQ and Infantry Company Group from 2nd Battalion the Light Infantry (2LI) along with various supporting Signals, Engineer, Fuel, Logistics, Transport, EOD and other elements. A small recce party of the SLE are in Beirut.  Lead Elements of the SLE are in Cyprus.  The Main Body of the SLE are in UK held at short notice to move.
• Military Operational Reconnaisance and Liaison Teams, assisting FCO personnel with planning, in Beirut and Cyprus.

OPERATIONAL TIMELINE

16 July 2006

• UK Government ministers confirm contingency planning for operations to evacuate British nationals and entitled personnel from Lebanon.  Military mobilisation begins.

17 July 2006

• At the request of the EU Presidency, the UK flies Chinook helicopters into Lebanon to support Dr Solana’s diplomatic mission.
• RAF Chinook helicopters also fly the FCO Rapid Deployment Team and support into Beirut as requested by HMA Beirut.
• Army Operational Reconnaissance and Liaison Team (OLRT) deployed to assist HM Ambassador and FCO staff.
• Royal Navy ships GLOUCESTER, YORK, ILLUSTRIOUS, BULWARK, FORT VICTORIA and ST ALBANS are deployed, diverted or placed on standby.
• RAF Chinook Helicopters evacuate small number of most vulnerable entitled personnel to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus.  

18 July 2006

• RAF Chinook Helicopters evacuate further, small number of most vulnerable entitled personnel to Cyprus.
• HMS GLOUCESTER and HMS YORK arrive off Lebanon coast and begin preparations for evacuation operations. GLOUCESTER begins first evacuation by sea later that day.
• 846 Naval Air Squadron deployed to theatre to assist.
• RAF Chinook helicopters fly Dr Solana back to Cyprus at the end of his diplomatic mission.

19 July 2006

• HMS Gloucester leaves Cyprus that morning having dropped off 172 people, and returns to Beirut, picking up her second load of entitled personnel later that night.
• During the day HMS YORK carries 344 entitled personnel from Beirut to Cyprus, mainly families with young children.
• HMS Illustrious and HMS Bulwark arrive on station in the eastern Mediterranean.
• Six Sea King helicopters of 846 Naval Air Squadron from RNAS Yeovilton arrive at RAF Akrotiri, supplementing the three RAF Chinooks already in theatre.
• RAF C130 Hercules transport aircraft and other transport assets set up an airbridge between the UK and Cyprus to provide logistics support for other elements of the military operation.

20 July 2006

• In the morning HMS BULWARK loads up with Entitled Personnel in Beirut then immediately sails for Cyprus.
• GLOUCESTER, YORK and ST ALBANS remain in the Eastern Mediterranean to assist with evacuation, with ILLUSTRIOUS providing command support.
• HMS BULWARK evacuates around 1,300 people from Beirut to Cyprus. HMS YORK evacuates around 300 more people. RAF Chinook helicopters evacuate around 100 to HMS ILLUSTRIOUS.
• RAF Chinooks from 27 Squadron transfer EPs to ILLUSTRIOUS, complete various other taskings in support of the operation, and respond to a call for an emergency medical evacuation from Beirut.
• A small recce party from the Spearhead Land Element (SLE), drawn from 2nd Battalion the Lighty Infantry, arrives dockside in Beirut. Other forward elements of the SLE (which includes various Army signals, logistics, medical, EOD and other assets) deployed to Cyprus via RAF Transport aircraft. The bulk of the SLE remained in UK at 2 hours notice to move.
• Evacuations by air and sea continue with UK Forces expecting to have moved some 3,000 Entitled Personnel from Lebanon by late that night.

21 July 2006

• The successful extraction of British nationals from Lebanon continues today with over 3,500 evacuated from Lebanon by British Forces.
• HMS BULWARK remains in Cyprus as its passengers are being processed.
• Earlier today, HMS ST ALBANS evacuates 268 people from Beruit.
• MV ALKONI leaves Beruit with approximately 700 people.
• Eight Royal Irish Regiment soldiers got more than they bargained for during a routine ship visit.
• To date, approximately 1,160 passengers have been flown to Gatwick, East Midlands and Stanstead Airports.

22 July 2006

• MV ALKIONI makes final UK scheduled evacuation from Beirut Harbour (afternoon). It removes some 732 people of which approximately 180 are British Nationals.

23 July 2006

• At the request of the UN, Jan Egeland is airlifted into Beirut by UK military Air Transport in his capacity as the UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs. He announces the launch of a UN humanitarian aid appeal.
• UK vessels are not required to evacuate any EPs on 23 July.

25 July 2006

• UK Military evacuation assistance draws to a close with 4,500 evacuated from Lebanon, including about 2,000 UK citizens, successfully evacuated. Some 50 nationalities have been evacuated.
• DFID is the Lead Government Department for the provision of Humanitarian support. It agrees to provide £2 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to Lebanon.

26 July 2006

• 2LI return from Cyprus.

28 July 2006

• Three RAF Chinooks return to RAF Odiham from Cyprus.
• Other RAF assets remain in theatre to assist if required.

 3 August 2006

• HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and HMS GLOUCESTER arrive back at their base port, Portsmouth.

Upcoming Activity

• Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship RFA FORT VICTORIA is expected back in the UK.
• HMS BULWARK, HMS YORK and HMS ST ALBANS remain in the Mediterranean, as do the Sea King helicopters of 845/
  846 Naval Air Squadrons which form Joint Helicopter Force (Cyprus). They will be in the region if any further assistance is required by the UK Government. As soon as they are no longer required, they too will resume their programmes.

BRIEFING MAPS

• Map of the Eastern Mediterranean