Lockheed Martin -130H Hercules

A97-012 – ‘Mambo 32’

Number 36 Squadron

Middle East Area of Operations, 0052Z 14 March 2003

A97-012 was one of two 36 Squadron C-130H Hercules that departed Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Richmond, New South Wales bound for the Middle East in support of Operation Bastille on 8 February 2003. The purpose of the deployment was to provide a ‘show of force’ to Saddam Hussein regime, and prepare for possible combat operations to disarm the Government of Iraq. On 20 March 2003, when the Australian Defence Force transitioned to Operation Falconer, offensive ground and air operations began. Under cover of darkness on the morning of 30 March 2003, a Special Operations C-130H crew from 36 Squadron were tasked to deliver critical force enabling infrastructure to Tallil Air Base in Southern Iraq, and A97-012 was allocated as the aircraft to be used for the initial RAAF mission into Iraq. This print depicts a vehicle exiting the aircraft during workup training in the days prior to the conflict. A97-012 was subsequently deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations on a number of occasions (both in Iraq and Afghanistan), before being officially withdrawn from service in December 2012.