Defence published an FOI request to its website on 25 June 2018 in relation to incidents involving lost, missing or recovered weapons and explosives from 2015 to 2017. Defence can confirm that two weapons listed in the FOI have subsequently been recovered. As inquiries are ongoing, Defence is…

Australian Defence Force (ADF) representatives will today attend the commemoration ceremony for the centenary of the Battle of Hamel, to remember the Australian, British and American troops whose courage, strength, and sacrifice helped turn the tide of the First World War.Australia’s Federation…

After three years as the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army, Warrant Officer Don Spinks, AM handed the position to Warrant Officer Grant McFarlane, OAM at a parade in Canberra today.Warrant Officer Spinks expressed his gratitude to his colleagues, friends and family for their support during his…

Marise Payne, Minister for Defence and Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, Chief of the Defence Force   PAYNE: Well ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for being here this afternoon, and thank you so much for having supported the announcement of our 2018 Invictus team here at the Sydney…

Members of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Clearance Diving Team 3 today received the United States (US) Unit Commendation for service in the 1991 Gulf War. In 1992, the Acting Secretary of the US Navy awarded a US Unit Commendation to units involved in the 1991 multinational Desert Storm Task…

Australian Defence Force (ADF) elements have combined with United States Air Force (USAF) B-52 Stratofortress Bombers as part of a training exercise in south-east Queensland this week. The B-52 aircraft trained with Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft including F/A-18F and Army elements…

  Five Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Chinook helicopters have arrived at the Army Aviation Training Centre at Oakey, Queensland. The Chinooks are located at Oakey in order to access the outstanding flying training environment available on the Darling Downs. The Chinooks will operate…

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will complete Exercise Pacific Partnership 2018 today with the exercise focusing on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) from a health care perspective. Commencing on 17 March 2018, the region’s largest multilateral humanitarian assistance…

  HMA Ships Adelaide and Melbourne have farewelled Fiji following a successful port visit as part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2018 (IPE). Both ships arrived in Suva on the morning of June 9 to begin the second engagement of IPE, following a  port visit to Vanuatu by HMA Ships Success and…

The Australian Defence Force is one of the most capable Defence Forces in the world today. Over the past 18 years, more than 80,000 Australian Defence Force personnel have deployed on domestic, border security and international operations in complex, chaotic and dangerous environments. I have full…

HMAS Warramunga, currently deployed to the Middle East under Operation Manitou, has seized three separate hauls of illicit narcotics over three days, with a total value of approximately AUD$294.3 million*. The boarding operations were conducted in international waters of the Arabian Sea from 3-5…

Task Group Taji‑6 has completed a six-month deployment to the Taji Military Complex, training more than 5,675 members of the Iraqi Security Forces. Commander of Task Group Taji‑6 Colonel Robert Calhoun said their Rotation had contributed significantly to the ongoing Build Partner Capacity mission…

The United States Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific announced AECOM Construction Inc. has been awarded the contract to construct a parking apron at RAAF Base Darwin.The First Assistant Secretary Infrastructure in the Department of Defence, Mr Chris Birrer, said the contract announcement…

HMAS Warramunga has seized two more hauls of illicit narcotics valued at approximately AUD$315.4 million* following boarding operations in international waters of the Arabian Sea this week. Warramunga is currently deployed to the Middle East under Operation Manitou and over the course of two days…

  Unacceptable behaviour is not tolerated, nor is it accepted, in our Defence organisation. Over the past few years Defence has invested significant resources to reform its culture. The initiatives that have been introduced in that time are particularly focussed on encouraging victims of…

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) will soon be rolled out to Australian Army soldiers in Brisbane following the completion of the Black Hornet Nano UAS Program.Commander 6th Brigade and the Army’s only UAS unit, the 20th Surveillance Target Acquisition Regiment, Brigadier Susan Coyle, said the Black…

Defence chiefs from Australia and Thailand joined forces today to officially open the 10th PIRAP JABIRU peacekeeping exercise in Bangsaen, Thailand.  Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, travelled to Thailand to mark the occasion alongside his co-chair, Royal Thai Armed…

Today the Australian Army displayed its extensive firepower capability during Exercise Chong Ju held at the Combined Armed Training Centre in Puckapunyal, Victoria. The Army’s Commander of Forces, Command Major General Gus McLachlan, said the exercise demonstrates the joint power of Army’s…

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has taken to the sea and skies of Malaysia and Singapore to enhance interoperability and strengthen the professional relationships of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) nations. Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom …

Around 300 members of the Australian Defence Force have joined a French-led multinational force to participate in valuable disaster response training designed to increase Australia’s interoperability with other regional nations. Running until 25 May, Exercise Croix Du Sud (Southern Cross) 18 is the…

Having had three generations serve across the Navy, Army and Air Force, with the latest addition enlisting with the Navy in April of this year, the Hooper family know what it is like to serve in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). As the son of World War II pilot Flight Lieutenant Laurence…

United States Air Force (USAF) B-52 Stratofortress Bombers have conducted training this week as part of Exercise ARNHEM THUNDER in the Northern Territory. The B-52 aircraft trained with F/A-18A Classic Hornets from Number 75 Squadron over the Northern Territory Military Airspace. This…

Today the Australian Defence community honoured Australia’s Vietnam veterans and their involvement on the battlefield in Vietnam, as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral.   Chief of Army, Lieutenant General…

Building on its already successful Operation MANITOU deployment, the crew of HMAS Warramunga has seized and disposed of 295 kilograms of heroin valued at about $88.5 million while patrolling waters in the Arabian Sea on 10 May 2018. The illicit narcotics interdiction is Warramunga’s 11th seizure in…

Recent media reporting on eligibility for the Australian Defence Medal is misleading. Eligibility for the Australian Defence Medal has not changed.  Introduced in 2006, the Medal is awarded to those who render qualifying service. To qualify, personnel are required to complete their initial…

The Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) ability to effectively contribute to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and security operations in South East Asia is again the focus of a major international military exercise in the Philippines. Jointly hosted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines…

The risk posed by sea mines will be a key focus at this year’s Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) Mine Countermeasures and Diving Exercise (MCM DIVEX), hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on the New South Wales south coast.   MCM DIVEX is hosted by a WPNS member every two years. This…

The purpose of the visit by the President of the Senate and the Leader of the Opposition was to attend ANZAC Day in Afghanistan. This was a significant program of events in which both members actively participated.VIP visit programs to the Middle East are always subject to change, this is not…

  Greg Moriarty - Secretary, Department of Defence Michael Pezzullo - Secretary, Department of Home Affairs Mike Burgess – Director, Australian Signals Directorate   In relation to today’s media claim, there is no proposal to increase the ASD’s powers to collect intelligence on…

A coordinated patrol between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) to improve security along the shared maritime border has concluded this week in Bali, Indonesia.Coordinated maritime patrol AUSINDO CORPAT 2018, the eighth iteration of the exercise, began in Darwin on…