Review by the Secretary and the Chief of the Defence Force

Domestic Security

The Bali terrorist attacks of October 2002, terrorist strikes elsewhere and the activities of well-established extremist regional organisations, in particular Jemaah Islamiyah, underscore the threat that terrorism poses to Australia. These challenges require a whole-of-government response and, in this, Defence has a key role to play.

Domestic coordination was enhanced and rapid response capabilities increased. The Special Operations Command was established in May 2003 to improve Australia's ability to respond to terrorism at home and abroad.

The size of the Special Forces was increased and more troops trained for counter-terrorism capabilities. A second Tactical Assault Group was created, along with the expansion of the Incident Response Regiment to deal with nuclear, chemical and biological threats. The ability of the reserve force to support domestic security was also enhanced. In May, the Government announced the establishment of the Reserve Response Force comprising a company-sized group in each of the six reserve brigades, to be trained for short-notice response to domestic security incidents.

Some of these capabilities were demonstrated in the apprehension of the North Korean drug smuggling ship, Pong Su, when Special Operations troops worked with Navy and Air Force elements under the new command arrangements in assisting state and federal police and customs to apprehend the vessel and crew.

Planning and preparation are well advanced for whole-of-government security arrangements for the Rugby World Cup 2003, which will take place at venues across Australia in October and November. Defence is an active participant on the Major Events Commonwealth Coordination Group, led by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, which has been established to coordinate government support for the World Cup. Defence is developing a range of support measures, including appropriate specialist counter-terrorism response options.