Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It has three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The ADF has a strength of just over 89,000 personnel and is supported by the Department of Defence and several other civilian agencies.
| Australian Defence Force | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1 March 1901 (federation) |
| Current form | 9 February 1976 |
| Service branches | |
| Headquarters | Canberra, ACT, as part of the Australian Defence Organisation |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Governor-General David Hurley as representative of Charles III as King of Australia |
| Prime Minister | Anthony Albanese |
| Minister for Defence | Richard Marles |
| Chief of the Defence Force | General Angus Campbell |
| Personnel | |
| Military age |
|
| Conscription | War time only |
| Active personnel | 57,346 (30 June 2023) |
| Reserve personnel | 32,049 (30 June 2023) |
| Deployed personnel | 1,841 (July 2020) |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | A$46.9 billion (2022–23) |
| Percent of GDP | 2% |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | Defence industry of Australia |
| Annual exports | Around A$2 billion (2018) |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of Australia |
| Ranks | Australian Defence Force ranks and insignia |
During the first decades of the 20th century, the Australian Government established the armed services as separate organisations. Each service had 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, including as part of combat and peacekeeping missions.
The ADF is technologically sophisticated but relatively small. Although the ADF's 57,346 full-time active-duty personnel and 32,049 active reservists as of 30 June 2023 make it the largest military in Oceania, 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.