Category: Australian Defence Force

Australian Navy to Train in Virtual Reality

The Australian government has awarded $5 million for the development of an advanced cyber training system that will mimic real life naval firefighting scenarios and boost the capability of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The grant will allow Victoria’s Deakin University to continue the development of its high-tech system, which combines virtual reality, augmented reality,…


Hundreds of Australian Troops Deployed at Christmas

More than 430 members of the Australian Defence Force will spend Christmas Day on deployment both at home and overseas. The Department of Defence told AAP 230 of these members would be overseas while 200 would be on operations and border protection duties in Australia. About 15 defence force members were still in the Solomon…


Negativity Towards Civilians Foils Veterans’ Attempt to Move on From Military Life

More than seven out of ten veterans held negative beliefs toward ordinary civilians, a core belief that can thwart their attempt to adjust to civilian life after the military, a former captain in the army told the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide on Thursday. Dr Kerri-Anne Woodbury, the lead researcher into transition and re-integration…


Australia Retires European Taipan Helicopter Fleet in Favour of U.S. Black Hawks

The Australian federal government will be retiring its entire fleet of European-made Taipan helicopters 15 years earlier than planned in favour of U.S.-made Black Hawks and Seahawk helicopters. “The performance of the MRH90 Taipan has been an ongoing and well-documented concern for defence and there has been a significant effort at great expense to try…


Australia Retires European Taipan Helicopter Fleet in Favour of US Black Hawks

The Australian federal government will be retiring its entire fleet of European-made Taipan helicopters 15 years earlier than planned in favour of U.S.-made Black Hawks and Seahawk helicopters. “The performance of the MRH90 Taipan has been an ongoing and well-documented concern for defence and there has been a significant effort at great expense to try…


Australia to Spend $1.3 Billion on 12 US Seahawk Helicopters

The Royal Australian Navy is set to phase out its troubled fleet of European-made MRH-90 Taipan helicopters in favour of U.S.-made Sikorsky Seahawks. On Oct. 8, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) approved the sale of 12 Sikorsky MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters to replace the navy’s six Airbus-made MRM-90s for around $1.3 billion (US$985 million)….


Australian Military a ‘One-Shot Defence Force’: Senator Warns

Federal Senator Jim Molan has warned Australians against complacency, saying there is a need to be prepared for conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. He made the comments to Emeritus Professor of Law David Flint in an episode of Australia Calling, saying Australia’s defence force could not sustain a prolonged conflict. “The government from 2013 until…


Defence Forces Patrolling Sydney as Lockdown Continues

Australian Defence Force (ADF) troops will join NSW police patrolling streets in Sydney’s west and southwest to ensure COVID-19 health orders are being observed in the hotspots where the virus is surging. The 300 ADF troops will reinforce the efforts of police on Monday, patrolling and doorknocking to ensure people are complying with self-isolation and…


Second Chinese Spy Ship Signals China Watching Australia Very Closely: Experts

Beijing’s decision to spy on the U.S.-Australian wargames is a sign the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is keeping an “eye” on Australia and its democratic allies, according to experts. The comments follow recent reports that two Chinese spy ships were headed towards the Australian coast to monitor Talisman Sabre, the largest biennial training exercise between…


Australia Looks to Establish a ‘Pacific Islands Regiment’ to Counter Foreign Threat

Australia and its neighbouring countries are seeking to establish a “Pacific Islands Regiment” to strengthen defence ties and protect regional sovereignty, as the Pacific area’s security continues to come under the growing China threat. The new land-based military force, which is raised within the Australian Army, would carry out peacekeeping missions and intervene in the…