3 RAR deployed to Borneo in March 1965 , and served in Sarawak until the end of July , operating on both sides of the border . The battalion had four major contacts with Indonesian forces and several smaller ones — including at Sungei Koemba , Kindau and Babang during which they inflicted heavy casualties on the Indonesians — as well as suffering casualties in two mine incidents . 4 RAR served a less @-@ eventful tour between April and August 1966 , and also operated over the border , successfully clashing with the Indonesians on a number of occasions . A squadron of the Special Air Service Regiment ( SASR ) was also deployed in 1965 and again in 1966 , taking part in cross @-@ border operations and inflicting significant casualties on the Indonesians , even though they were often tasked with covert reconnaissance . Other units included artillery and engineers , while a number of RAN ships were involved in shelling Indonesian positions in Borneo and in repelling infiltrators in the Singapore Strait . The RAAF played a relatively minor role , although it would have been used far more extensively had the war escalated .