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One year of progress on guided weapons

The one-year anniversary of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Plan has been marked by the opening of an office in Newcastle dedicated to the $850 million missile manufacturing partnership with Kongsberg Defence Australia. The new Kongsberg office is an important milestone in the…

Television Interview, ABC

SUBJECTS: Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead; AUKUS.  JANE NORMAN, ABC: Defence Minister Richard Marles, Vice Admiral Mead, welcome. Thanks for your time. You've been in the service for more than 40 years now. Did you ever imagine that at the end of it, Australia would be on the cusp of acquiring…

Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead

Director-General of the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead has advised the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence that he will step down from his role in mid-2026.  Vice Admiral Mead has made an enormous contribution to the development of the AUKUS optimal…

World-leading Australian quantum clocks successfully trialled under AUKUS Pillar II

Four Australian‑developed quantum technology clocks have been successfully trialled in the United States, as part of the Albanese Government’s $2.7 million investment towards these AUKUS Pillar Two capabilities. Held over a six-week period in Washington D.C., the trials saw Adelaide‑based QuantX…

Address to 2025 Indo Pacific Conference breakfast

So welcome everyone today to the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition 2025 and the accompanying Royal Australian Navy's Sea Power conference.  And quite literally, Indo Pac 2025 is bigger and better than it has ever been.  On the Navy side of the house, last count, there are 58…

Doorstop Interview, Indo Pacific 2025

SUBJECTS: IndoPac-25; PMB-BAE AUKUS battery contract; defence exports; quantum navigation   MARK HAMMOND: Good morning ladies and gentlemen, welcome to IndoPac‑25, it is true that the capability of the Australian Defence Force stands on the shoulders of the Australian defence industry, and the…

Address to 2025 Indo Pacific Conference Breakfast

I do get the last word but it's always a challenge to say something novel as the fourth speaker. I won't repeat all the acknowledgements, I think the DPM did a sterling job of that, but I would be remiss not to acknowledge my New Zealand counterpart, Chris, and great to see you here today. And…

Television Interview, Sky News

SUBJECTS: AUKUS Battery System; IndoPac Protests  Jaynie Seal: Well, Labor is preparing to unveil a major defence contract. The multimillion dollar deal, worth more than $34 million, is going to provide batteries for the AUKUS class submarines. So, the batteries will be built in South…

Aussie Battery Technology set to be used in AUKUS Subs

The Albanese Government is pleased to announce a strategic contract that paves the way for Australian battery technology to be used in the AUKUS submarine design, supporting local innovation and hundreds of jobs. South Australian-based PMB Defence is partnering with BAE Systems in the United…

Joint Readout of the Meeting of Defense Ministers From Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro, Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Jr., and United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met together on November 1, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. …

An AUKUS milestone - launch of the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator

The Albanese Government has delivered a key milestone in Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine program with the establishment of the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator. The new statutory Agency is responsible for the effective regulatory oversight of…

Travel to Malaysia for ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, will this weekend represent Australia at the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Malaysia. ASEAN sits at the core of Australia’s vision for a peaceful, stable and…