The Australian Defence Force (ADF) continues to build relationships in Samoa through a series of activities with the community as part of the Australian Government’s commitment to the region. Working together with a focus on security and safety, 210 personnel on board HMAS Choules arrived in the…

Prospective trainee officers, family and friends and the local community descended on the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) today for the 27th annual Open Day. Australia’s pre-eminent tri-service military training institution opens its doors each year in August for the public to discover what…

The Royal Australian Air Force welcomed the arrival of the third and final Falcon 7X aircraft to Australia as it completes part of a project to upgrade the Special Purpose Aircraft (SPA) fleet. The Falcon 7X is an advanced business jet designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It includes…

Defence has released its Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Workforce Strategic Vision 2019-2030 in Canberra as part of its celebrations marking National Science Week. Chief Defence Scientist, Professor Tanya Monro, said the Department of Defence will collaborate with industry and…

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems provides an opportunity to make Defence operations more effective, while presenting unique ethical and legal challenges. The Ethical AI for Defence workshop held in Canberra  from 30 July to 1 August 2019, hosted global experts in…

Four Australian tall ships, including the Royal Australian Navy operated STS Young Endeavour, have welcomed Chilean Navy Buque Escuela Esmeralda to Sydney today. STS Young Endeavour, James Craig, Soren Larsen and MV Martindale, accompanied by HMAS Melbourne and HMAS…

The Department of Defence has awarded a $95.5 million contract to IBM to deliver the initial design of the Defence Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) program.The ERP program plans to roll out initial capability for finance reporting in 2020, followed by a larger logistics and maintenance…

The largest Australian-led amphibious landing and offensive assault since the Second World War has taken place off the Central Queensland coast under Exercise Talisman Sabre. Soldiers from Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Japan and New Zealand disembarked from a Combined Expeditionary…

Exercise BOSS LIFT Talisman Sabre 2019 (TS19) flew employers of Air Force health specialist Reservists and key health professionals from across Australia to Central Queensland to experience military life and observe first-hand the health services provided in the field. Participants started at RAAF…

The Royal Australian Air Force starts flying alongside United States Air Force (USAF) F-22 Raptor stealth fighter aircraft today as part of an Enhanced Air Cooperation (EAC) activity for Exercise Talisman Sabre 2019.   The aim of Enhanced Air Cooperation is to strengthen the ability of…

The Australian Defence Force continues to support the Australian Government’s Pacific Step-Up initiative through the latest series of engagements across the Southwest Pacific and Timor-Leste. Joint Task Force 637 and Her Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Sirius will arrive in Fiji in early July for…

The Royal Australian Navy has celebrated the completion of 25 years of service by HMAS Newcastle at a ceremony to decommission the ship at her home port of Garden Island in Sydney. Since commissioning in 1993, Newcastle had steamed around 815,000 nautical miles, deployed on operations to the Middle…

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has decommissioned the Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship HMAS Success, at her home port of Garden Island in Sydney, in a ceremony full of tradition, after more than three decades of service. Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan AO, RAN joined 23rd and…

While deployed to the Middle East Region for Operation MANITOU, HMAS Ballarat has conducted a boarding of a vessel (dhow) in international waters in the Arabian Sea. During the boarding, illicit cargo was discovered and seized which included nearly half a million rounds of small arms ammunition,…

The Department of Defence has not engaged in any classified or unclassified planning with respect to developing, funding or supporting an alternative military, commercial or mixed-use port at Glyde Point or elsewhere in the vicinity of Darwin. This information was provided to journalists last week…

The United States and Australia have agreed on a cross-servicing arrangement for the repair and maintenance of C-17A Globemaster transport aircraft. The arrangement permits C-17A technicians from the United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to conduct maintenance…

The Royal Australian Navy’s longest serving ship, HMAS Success (II) today completed her final voyage after 33 years’ service to Australia. Success, an 18,000 tonne Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment ship, almost 160 meters in length and known as ‘The Battle Tanker’, was the last vessel built for the…

Vice Admiral David Johnston AO, RAN Vice Chief of the Defence Force   ***CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY***   (Acknowledgements omitted) When I started thinking what might 2025 look like, my mind leapt into the future – something like a Jetsons cartoon episode. Then followed reality… 2025 is under…

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) today celebrated the completion of the final overseas deployment by an Adelaide Class guided missile frigate, with HMAS Newcastle arriving back in Australia. Commander Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead AM, RAN, said the Adelaide Class frigates have been an…

The Royal Australian Navy’s oldest Adelaide Class warship, HMAS Melbourne (III), has returned to Australia from her final overseas mission. The 138 metre-long Guided Missile Frigate arrived at Gladstone Port in Queensland today, following a three month deployment throughout the Asia-Pacific region…

The Iraqi Army School of Infantry Non-Commissioned Officer II (SINCO II) marked a significant milestone last week by achieving Initial Operating Capability ahead of schedule.The School, based at the Taji Military Complex, 20 kilometres north of Baghdad, can now conduct 75 per cent of its training…

Royal Australian Navy Frigate HMAS Ballarat has seized another four illicit drug shipments in three days while deployed to the Middle East region. The four boardings took place over the period 2–5 June 2019, as Ballarat conducted a routine patrol in the Arabian Sea in support of the Combined…

An Australian KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft has recommenced operations in the Middle East. The KC-30A deployment is part of Operation OKRA, supporting the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve mission to defeat Daesh. Despite its territorial defeat, Daesh continues to pose a security…

A two-week military field exercise has been completed this week, consisting of over 700 Australian Defence Force, United States Marine Rotational Force-Darwin and Japan Self Defense Force soldiers and marines. Exercise Southern Jackaroo provided soldiers and marines the opportunity to complete…

Defence has selected seven innovative research proposals from Australian universities and industry to develop and integrate advanced materials that will provide enhanced protection for military platforms. Research will enable the development of new adhesives for joining high temperature structures…

Over 360 Australian, United States and Philippine soldiers and marines have completed their final urban assault mission at a fictional town in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area. Exercise Carabaroo involved static live-fire range shoots and blank fire training in urban operations training…

Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) personnel have successfully fired two FH-70 howitzers out to 25 kilometres while in Australia. This marks a historic first for the JGSDF, as there is no military range large enough in Japan to conduct such a long-range firing activity.  Japan’s…

The first iteration of Exercise Pacific Vanguard was successfully held off the coast of Guam over the period 22-28 May 2019. Exercise Pacific Vanguard is a combined maritime exercise involving key regional defence partners from Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States.…

Senior members of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have visited Horn and Thursday Islands in Far North Queensland, attending a ceremony honouring those who served on the islands during World War Two. Led by Officer Commanding 84 Wing, Group Captain Nicholas Hogan, the Air Force contingent…

The crew of HMAS Ballarat has stopped illegal narcotics in excess of AUD$1 billion from funding terrorism and other illegal activity. The Australian Navy frigate recently seized over 12.9 tonnes of hashish, 1.4 tonnes of heroin and a small amount of methyl amphetamines, with a combined worth of AUD…