Australian Defence Force

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three services: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The ADF has a strength of just over 90,000 personnel and is supported by the Department of Defence alongside other civilian entities that are also members of the Australian Defence Organisation.

During the first decades of the 20th century, the Australian Government established the armed services as separate organisations, with each service having an independent chain of command. In 1976, the government made a strategic change and established the ADF to place the services under a single headquarters. Over time, the degree of integration has increased, and tri-service headquarters, logistics, and training institutions have supplanted many single-service establishments. The ADF has been deployed around the world in combat, peacekeeping and disaster-relief missions.

The ADF is technologically sophisticated but relatively small for its landmass. The ADF has 58,909 full-time active-duty personnel and 33,269 active reservists. The ADF has the largest military in Oceania, although it is smaller than most Asian military forces. The ADF is supported by a significant budget by worldwide standards and is well equipped and trained, with defence spending at 2.02% of GDP.

History

Main articles: Military history of Australia, History of the Royal Australian Navy, History of the Australian Army, and History of the Royal Australian Air Force

Formation

By 1870, each of the Australian colonies had its own military forces. On 1 January 1901, the colonies joined together to form a new nation, and on 1 March 1901, these forces combined to create the Australian Army and Commonwealth Naval Forces. In 1911, the government created the Royal Australian Navy, which took over the Commonwealth Naval Force. The Army formed the Australian Flying Corps in 1912, which later became the Royal Australian Air Force in 1921. These services fought in World War I and World War II, and in conflicts in Asia during the Cold War.

The importance of working together became clear during World War II. After the war, leaders wanted a single leader for all three services, but this did not happen. In 1973, a report suggested unifying the support for the services under one Department of Defence and creating a Chief of the Defence Force Staff. The government agreed, and the Australian Defence Force was established on 9 February 1976.

Defence of Australia era

Until the 1970s, Australia’s military strategy focused on working with allies to defend against threats near Australia. In 1969, the United States and Britain changed their policies, so Australia began focusing more on defending itself. This meant protecting Australia’s northern waters. The ADF was reorganized to better defend from attacks and to stop raids on Australia.

In 1987, the ADF’s first operation was to send ships and soldiers to Fiji after a coup there. Since the late 1980s, Australia has sent forces to peacekeeping missions around the world, such as in Namibia, Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, and Bougainville.

The ADF’s role in the 1991 Gulf War was its first active war zone deployment since becoming the ADF. Although they did not see combat, it tested their abilities.

East Timor deployment

In 1996, John Howard became prime minister and made changes to the ADF. The new strategy focused more on working with nearby countries and allies to handle security threats. From 1997, changes were made to improve the ADF’s combat abilities.

The ADF’s mission in East Timor in 1999 led to more changes in Australia’s defence policies and improved the ADF’s ability to operate outside Australia. This was the first large ADF operation outside Australia since the Vietnam War.

In 2000, a new defence plan emphasized preparing the ADF for overseas missions. The government aimed to improve equipment and increase defence spending.

Iraq and Afghanistan

Since 2000, the ADF has been active in several places. After the 9/11 attacks in the United States, Australia sent forces to Afghanistan and naval ships to the Persian Gulf. In 2003, about 2,000 ADF personnel joined the invasion of Iraq.

The ADF helped rebuild Iraq from 2003 to 2008, protecting the Australian embassy and training Iraqi forces. In 2008, combat forces left Iraq.

The ADF also helped in the Solomon Islands, Indonesia after an earthquake, and East Timor. In Afghanistan from 2006 to 2013, ADF forces helped with reconstruction and training, but sometimes fought in battles. Unfortunately, 40 ADF personnel were killed and 262 were wounded in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013. After 2013, ADF training teams stayed to help train Afghan forces.

2020–present

The Australian Government believes that China’s growing influence is a threat. In response, the ADF is growing and improving its abilities, especially for high-intensity combat. In 2021, Australia joined a security partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States called AUKUS. Part of this partnership is Australia getting nuclear-powered attack submarines to improve the Royal Australian Navy.

In August 2021, RAAF aircraft helped evacuate people from Kabul, Afghanistan, after the Taliban took over. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Australia sent military aid to Ukraine, including equipment and training for Ukrainian soldiers.

In May 2022, a new government was elected. They agreed with the previous government that China is a threat but also see climate change as an important security issue. In April 2023, a review suggested changing the ADF to focus more on protecting Australia from attacks. The government accepted most of these recommendations.

Structure

The Australian Defence Force and Department of Defence make up the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO), which is often called "Defence". The ADO is managed by two leaders: the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary of the Department of Defence.

The Department of Defence has both civilian and military staff. It includes groups like the Defence Intelligence Organisation and the Defence Science and Technology Group. The CDF is the top military leader in the ADF. The current CDF is Admiral David Johnston, who started in this role on 10 July 2024. The CDF helps the Minister for Defence make important decisions and gives advice about military matters.

The ADF has three main parts: the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force. Each part has its own leader who helps the CDF. Together, they work on planning and controlling military operations. The Royal Australian Navy runs ships and boats for Australia. The Australian Army organizes soldiers and troops. The Royal Australian Air Force manages airplanes and air operations. All three work together when needed.

Logistic support

See also: Defence industry of Australia

The Australian Defence Force gets help from a special group called the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG). This group looks after all the tools and items the ADF needs and keeps them working well.

Other teams, like the Joint Logistics Command, help give supplies to soldiers when they are far away. They use ships, brigades, and support groups to make sure everyone has what they need.

The ADF also keeps extra supplies, like fuel and ammunition, in special places. Some people worry if there is enough fuel, especially if Australia can't get more during a war.

More and more, the ADF works with private companies to help with jobs like moving things and building bases. This helps make things more efficient.

Military intelligence and surveillance

The Australian Defence Force gathers and studies information to help protect Australia. It uses special teams from the navy, army, and air force, along with two civilian groups that collect and study information.

The navy focuses on gathering many types of information to help make decisions. The army has several units for gathering and watching information, including the 1st Intelligence Battalion and the Special Air Service Regiment. The air force watches Australia's skies and nearby areas using the Vigilare system, which combines data from many radars. The air force also uses special airplanes for gathering information.

There are three main groups that help analyze information: the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation, which makes maps; the Australian Signals Directorate, which listens to important signals; and the Defence Intelligence Organisation, which studies the information collected. These groups work together and are based in Canberra.

The Australian Signals Directorate also includes the Australian Cyber Security Centre, which protects government agencies from attacks online. This centre was created in 2010 and works with several government departments to keep information safe. The Australian Secret Intelligence Service has helped the Australian Defence Force in many operations around the world.

Personnel

The Australian military has been made up of people who choose to join since 1972. Both men and women can join, and anyone who is an Australian citizen or a permanent resident can apply. Recruits must be at least 17 years old and meet certain health and education standards.

As of June 2025, the Australian Defence Force had 58,909 full-time workers and 33,269 part-time workers. The Army is the largest part of the military, followed by the Air Force and the Navy. The number of people in the military has changed over the years. It grew after the year 2000 but faced challenges in getting new recruits. By 2040, the military plans to grow to almost 80,000 full-time workers.

The military also has reserve forces, which are part-time workers who help during special events or crises. Training for these members can vary, and they often need more training before they can join active duty. Women have been part of the military since World War II, and today they can apply for all jobs, including combat roles. The military is working to include more people from different backgrounds and to support everyone who joins.

Defence expenditure and procurement

Current expenditure

See also: Australian federal budget

The Australian Government spent A$55.7 billion on its defence in the 2024–25 year. This is about 2.02% of all the money Australia makes in a year.

Australia spends more on defence than many nearby countries. It also spends more than most big economies and countries in South-East Asia, when looking at the share of money used for defence. China spends about the same share as Australia. In 2017, Australia was 13th in the world for how much it spent on defence. When looking at the share of money used, Australia was 49th.

Long term expenditure

In 2024, the Australian Government shared plans to spend A$100.4 billion on defence by 2033-34. This would be 2.4% of all the money Australia makes in a year.

Equipment

See also: List of active Royal Australian Navy ships, List of equipment of the Australian Army, and Current aircraft of the RAAF

The Australian Defence Force aims to use advanced technology. The three services—the Navy, Army, and Air Force—share some equipment, like the same small guns and handguns. They only use regular weapons and do not have any powerful weapons that can cause big damage. Australia has agreed to international rules that stop the use of certain dangerous weapons.

The Royal Australian Navy has many ships and submarines. This includes frigates, destroyers, and patrol boats. The Australian Army has tanks, armoured vehicles, and many types of helicopters. The Royal Australian Air Force has fighter jets, patrol planes, and transport planes, along with some training aircraft and special vehicles for moving important people.

Bases

Main article: List of Australian military bases

The Australian Defence Force has 60 major bases and many other facilities spread across all the states and territories of Australia. These bases cover millions of hectares of land. Defence Housing Australia looks after around 19,000 homes for ADF members. Most Army units are in northern Australia, while most Navy and Air Force units are near Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. Only a few bases are shared by different services.

The Royal Australian Navy’s two main bases are Fleet Base East (HMAS Kuttabul) in Sydney and Fleet Base West (HMAS Stirling) near Perth. The Australian Army’s units are mainly in northern Australia, with important bases in Sydney, Darwin, Townsville, Queensland, and Brisbane. The Royal Australian Air Force has several air bases, with key ones near Sydney, Ipswich, Queensland, Katherine, Northern Territory, Newcastle, New South Wales, Adelaide, and Perth.

In 2026, it was announced that up to 67 military properties may be sold after a review of all bases and properties across Australia.

Legal standing

Section 51(vi) of the Australian Constitution allows the Australian Parliament to create laws about Australia’s defence and its defence forces. Section 114 stops the states from creating their own armies without permission from the national government. Section 119 says the national government is responsible for protecting Australia from attacks.

Section 68 of the Constitution names the governor-general as the top leader of the Australian Defence Force, but this role is mostly symbolic. The governor-general can only act based on advice from the prime minister, other leaders, or the Federal Executive Council. The government controls the Defence Force through the minister for Defence, who has important powers under the Defence Act 1903. The decision to send the Defence Force into battle is made by the government, usually by the prime minister after discussions with the National Security Committee of Cabinet. Sometimes, the full group of leaders called Cabinet also agrees to these decisions. However, it is not completely clear exactly how the law allows these war-making choices to be made. The government does not need to get approval from parliament to send troops overseas or start a war, according to the Constitution or laws.

Domestic responsibilities

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) helps keep Australia safe not just in wars, but also at home. When big natural disasters happen, like bushfires or floods, the ADF can be asked to help. They might bring in engineers to fix things or planes and trucks to carry supplies. Even though helping with disasters is important, the ADF’s main job is still to be ready for fighting, so they can’t always help right away.

The ADF also helps watch Australia’s seas. Their ships and planes work with the Australian Border Force to make sure everything is safe. They sometimes help find lost ships or planes, too. The ADF also helps some remote Indigenous communities by fixing things like buildings and teaching useful skills. They have special teams ready if there are ever big safety problems in Australia.

Foreign defence relations

See also: Foreign relations of Australia

The Australian Defence Force works with militaries from many countries around the world. Australia has important military agreements with the United States, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Canada. These agreements allow the countries to plan together, share information, exchange personnel, and practice their skills in joint exercises. Australia is also part of a group that works together to gather important information for security.

Singapore and the United States have military units based in Australia. Singapore has pilot training squadrons and uses an area in Queensland for large exercises. The United States has facilities in Australia for gathering information and communicating, and they also use Australian areas for training. In recent years, the United States has sent marines to Australia for training every year.

The Australian Defence Force helps countries in the Pacific region by providing training, equipment, and support. This includes helping with patrol boats for Pacific nations and supporting the defence forces of Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea. Australia also helps by sending warships and aircraft to patrol the waters of Pacific countries.

Australia and Japan have also strengthened their defence cooperation through several agreements, which has improved their ability to work together on security matters in the region.