Following the Asian Tsunami Disaster which devastated 12 Asian coastlines on 26 December 2004, SCDF deployed two contingents of 23 officers - one each to Aceh, Indonesia and Khao Lak, Thailand to assist in the search and rescue efforts in these tsunami-hit areas.

The deployment of this overseas rescue mission is based on the assessment of the extent of damage in Aceh by the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team as well as at the request of the Government of Thailand.

At the end of the operation, the SCDF contingent helped to recover a total of 14 bodies in Khao Lak, Thailand.