Australian Army helicopters will be seen flying over the Gold Coast and Brisbane from 13 March 2018 as part of the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) support to the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Army helicopters will provide Queensland Police and partner organisations additional flexibility…

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has commenced search activities in support of security preparations for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. The ADF is assisting the Queensland Police Service by searching a number of key locations during the lead up to, and throughout, the Games. …

Two Australian Army MRH-90 Taipan helicopter crews safely delivered supplies to a group of school children and adults on Friday afternoon following major flooding in North Queensland.  The Army’s support was requested after roads around the Echo Creek Adventure Camp in the Tully Valley…

HMAS Warramunga’s crew has seized record amounts of narcotics on Operation Manitou following their latest interdiction.In the latest haul, the crew of the Royal Australian Navy frigate seized approximately 132 kilograms of heroin valued at almost $40 million while patrolling international waters of…

The crew of Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga has intercepted two vessels and seized approximately eight tonnes of hashish valued at approximately $400 million during operations in international waters of the Arabian Sea. Warramunga has now seized 19.5 tonnes of hashish and 1.5 tonnes…

The Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) current leaders joined with family and friends to welcome its future leaders during the Chief of the Defence Force Parade at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in Canberra today. The annual parade represents the culmination of five weeks of…

Media coverage in October 2017 raised questions regarding the Department of Defence’s use of Da Jiang (DJI) unmanned aerial systems (UAS) following the US Army order to cease all use of DJI commercial off-the-shelf UAS. Defence operates commercial off-the-shelf UAS, including the Phantom. When…

The Royal Australian Navy’s newest warship, HMAS Hobart, has arrived in its namesake city for the first time. This port visit is the first time in 18 years a ship carrying the name Hobart has visited the City of Hobart and will see the guided missile destroyer feature as the flagship in the…

The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, and New Zealand Defence Chief, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, have co-hosted a number of Defence Chiefs in Sydney, Canberra and Wellington for a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings this week. The Chiefs met to discuss…

International Day for Women and Girls in Science 2018 On International Day for Women and Girls in Science, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has highlighted the world class training opportunities for women and girls interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).   In…

Royal Australian Navy personnel from Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 and frigate HMAS Warramunga have completed their involvement in this year’s Exercise Cutlass Express 18, which was held between 29 January–7 February 2018.Cutlass Express is an annual exercise sponsored by US Africa…

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga's crew has seized another 414 kilograms of heroin valued in excess of $124 million during an operation in the Western Indian Ocean.Warramunga has now seized and destroyed narcotics from seven…

The Secretary of the Department of Defence has commenced a security investigation into the unauthorised disposal of security information by a senior Defence official.  The investigation will seek to determine the means by which the material became public and to assess the security implications…

Australian and New Zealand military personnel from Task Group Taji have trained more than 30,000 Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) personnel since the Building Partner Capacity mission commenced in 2015.Task Group Taji reached the milestone this week when around 900 personnel from the 57th and 61st…

Defence is aware of the possible risks of the collection of location data through personal electronic devices and applications. The circumstances of this application do not constitute a security breach. All Defence personnel are required to complete annual mandatory security training which includes…

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) continues to build its cyber capability, establishing the new Defence Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Cyber Command. From 29 January, the new Joint SIGINT Unit and the recently established Joint Cyber Unit will operate under the Defence SIGINT and Cyber…

Defence is monitoring an incident at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University (MFNDU) outside Kabul, Afghanistan and can confirm Australian Defence Force (ADF) trainers are based at the MFNDU as part of the NATO Resolute Support mission. ADF personnel on the base took appropriate force…

Defence can confirm an incident involving an EA-18G Growler at Nellis Air Force Base during Exercise Red Flag. Royal Australian Air Force personnel are safe and no serious injuries have been sustained. Defence is currently working with the United States Air Force to investigate and will provide an…

HMAS Warramunga’s crew has conducted one of the largest drug seizures in Operation MANITOU’s history as part of the Australian-led Combined Task Force 150.In a joint counter-narcotics operation, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) seized 915 kilograms of heroin…

The Future Submarine Program is managed by an extremely experienced executive with more than 250 years of collective project management experience. Mr Kim Gillis is the Deputy Secretary Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) in Defence. Mr Gillis has more than 20 years of senior…

Two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Super Hornets have flown the Australian Air Task Group’s final strike mission over Iraq.Australian F/A-18 Hornets have conducted continuous operations in Iraq since their first mission in October 2014, flying more than 2,700 sorties over 21,000 flying hours.…

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga seized 111 kilograms of heroin valued at $33 million during operations in the Arabian Sea on 7 January 2018. This is the third successful interdiction for Warramunga in the past fortnight, taking the ship’s total seizures to more than 11.5 tonnes of…

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga, with support from a UK Royal Navy helicopter, seized more than 3.5 tonnes of illicit narcotics during a night-time operation in the Arabian Sea on 3 January 2018 at around 0830 AEDT. Warramunga intercepted and boarded suspect vessel, under the…

Reports claiming that Defence is unprepared for possible future challenges are misinformed.  Defence has sufficient fuel storage and munition holdings to meet its current needs. We also have access to additional fuel through existing arrangements with commercial suppliers and our…

The crew of the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga have spent the Christmas season hard at work, spending nearly three days seizing almost eight tonnes of hashish and 69 kilograms of heroin from drug smugglers while conducting maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea. Warramunga…

Around 1,880 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel serving their nation on operations overseas will celebrate Christmas away from their families and friends this year. ADF personnel are deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, the broader Middle East Region and South Sudan, as well as in our northern…

Over 260 officer cadets and midshipmen graduated from the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in Canberra today, prepared to serve our nation with distinction. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, His Excellency,  General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK, MC, (…

The first India-Australia 2+2 Foreign and Defence Secretaries’ Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 12 December 2017, hosted by Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra of India with Secretary Frances Adamson of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and…

A ceremonial parade was held at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Richmond today to mark the disbandment of Number 285 Squadron. No. 285 Squadron was formed on 24 August 1999 to train aircrew and technicians serving on the C-130H and C-130J Hercules transport aircraft, as well as the Boeing…

The Royal Australian Navy has decommissioned the Adelaide Class frigate, HMAS Darwin, at her homeport of Garden Island, Sydney, after more than three decades of service to the nation. In a ceremony full of tradition, Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, paid tribute to the service of the…