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The Turnbull Government’s first priority is the safety and security of Australia and its people.

Joint Media Release Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne, MP Minister for Defence Industry, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC   The Morrison Government’s number one priority is keeping Australians safe and secure. The 2019–20 Budget sees continued strong investment in Australia’s national security, with a particular focus on enhancing our regional security, building defence capability and supporting Australia’s sovereign defence industry.

Team Australia joined roughly 5,000 attendees at last night’s spectacular opening ceremony for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, which for the first time will incorporate winter sports including skiing, snowboarding, wheelchair curling and biathlon. The combined Australian team of 33 current and former serving military personnel, enjoyed the full show of live music – featuring Chris Martin and Katy Perry, the Parade of Nations, stunning performances and moving stories to mark the start of the games. 

The Albanese Government has taken a significant step towards securing a major defence export deal, for Boxer heavy weapon carrier vehicles made in Queensland for the German Army. The Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP, and his German counterpart, the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defence, Mr Thomas Hitschler, have signed a Letter of Cooperation, to start formal negotiations.

Today, the Albanese Government begins implementing key recommendations of the Defence Strategic Review. As the Review makes clear, a genuine partnership between the Government, industry and unions will be critical to growing Australia’s defence industry and speeding up the acquisition of vital defence capabilities.

In a win for Australian defence industry, successful Australian SME - Thomas Global Systems - has announced with Safran Group a significant partnership to manufacture and support high-technology defence equipment in Western Sydney. Under the agreement, Thomas Global will create a specialist manufacturing facility to maintain and produce high technology systems like the PASEO long-range sighting system, now used by the French Army for their new armoured vehicles.

SUBJECTS: Passage of AUKUS legislation, Pacific polices, Integrated air and missile defence. MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY PAT CONROY: Pat Conroy, Minister for Defence Industry. JADE MACMILLAN: Can I get your reaction, first of all, to the passage of the AUKUS legislation now through both Houses of the Congress.

SUBJECTS: Australia-PNG-Indonesia Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting; Pukpuk Treaty; PLA-N task group; Support for PNG twins. MARIAN FAA, JOURNALIST: So Minister, how did this trilateral meeting come about between Australia, PNG and Indonesia? Is it, in part, to allay Indonesian concerns around the Pukpuk Treaty?

SUBJECTS: Senate; Defence Industry; Census Privacy Concerns MARIUS BENSON: Christopher Pyne, good morning. CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Good morning Marius

**Check against delivery** 2 December 2019  

  **Check against delivery**   PATRICIA KARVELAS:     The US wants to deploy mid-range missiles somewhere in the Asia-Pacific, and it's not ruling out northern Australia as a potential base. Would the Government ever agree to housing American warheads on Australian soil?

SUBJECTS: ADF Continuation Bonus, Defence Recruitment and Retention HOST, SALLY SARA: We're joined by Matt Keogh, the Acting Defence Minister and of course, the Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans’ Affairs. Minister, thank you very much for your time this morning.

**Check against delivery** GEOFF HUTCHINSON:     How compelling is the case made today to bring full cycle docking to Western Australia?

**Check against delivery**   LEIGH SALES: Minister, welcome to 7.30. LINDA REYNOLDS: It’s great to be with you, Leigh. LEIGH SALES: You said today that joining this mission is about de-escalating tension in the region. Doesn’t adding military assets and personnel there threaten to do the exact opposite?

As part of International Women’s Day celebrations, Assistant Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon David Fawcett, visited Woodside Barracks to meet with young women from the South Australian Aboriginal Netball Academy as they took part in a unique Australian Defence Force (ADF) experience day. The women, aged between 15 and 18 years, met with current serving ADF members to learn about the wide range of roles available in the ADF and hear firsthand accounts of the members’ experiences in the Defence Force. 

The Albanese Government is accelerating the acquisition of cutting-edge drone and counter-drone technologies for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to keep Australian’s safe and protect our military assets. Just four months after the announcement of Project LAND 156, the Albanese Government has issued an initial rolling wave of contracts worth $16.9 million to 11 vendors, including five Australian companies, to rapidly deliver counter-drone capability and technologies.

Defence has formally accepted its first evolved Cape class patrol boat. This will strengthen Australia’s naval capability while providing greater reliability and effectiveness to the Royal Australian Navy’s patrol force to keep our borders safe.Minister for Defence, the Hon Peter Dutton MP said this is another significant milestone in the overall contract with Austal Ships to deliver a total of six evolved Cape class patrol boats to the Royal Australian Navy.

The Albanese Government is further accelerating Australia’s long-range strike capability through the acquisition of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) from 2025.  The Government and Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace have signed a $142 million contract to deliver the JSM for use by the Australian Defence Force. The JSM is designed to allow the missile to fit into the F-35A Lightning II internal weapon bay, preserving the aircraft’s stealth characteristics. 

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Pat Conroy MP, has announced Government approval for the Land Force Level Electronic Warfare Project valued at nearly $75 million. The Project Land 555 Phase 6 will modify existing Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles and install Electronic Warfare systems into these vehicles.

Today the Assistant Minister for Defence released the second ACSC Annual Cyber Threat Report: July 2020 to June 2021 in Perth. The ACSC Annual Cyber Threat Report details the key cyber threats Australians face, and provides critical advice on how to protect yourself online, jointly compiled by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

Cybercriminals are targeting Australians at an unprecedented level to steal sensitive information and money, including through business email compromise and ransomware attacks. Launching the next stage of the ‘Act Now Stay Secure’ cyber security campaign, Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon Andrew Hastie MP, said the consequences of cybercrime can be catastrophic for businesses, families, and individuals.

The Armidale Class Patrol Boat HMAS Childers arrived at Chittagong, Bangladesh on Monday, 27 January in what is the first visit for many decades to the nation by the Royal Australian Navy, Acting Minister for Defence Senator George Brandis QC announced. “As one of our Indian Ocean neighbours, Australia values its interaction with Bangladesh and this landmark visit is a significant milestone for our nations’ Navy-to-Navy relationship,” Senator Brandis said.

The Australian Government has re-established a resident Defence Attaché office in Burma with the arrival in Rangoon today of Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Captain Jon Dudley who will fill the post left vacant since 1979. Captain Dudley has previously served as Australian Defence Attaché to Thailand and Naval Attaché to Indonesia. The appointment coincides with the arrival at the Port of Rangoon of a RAN Armidale Class patrol boat, HMAS Childers, the first such visit by an Australian warship to Burma since HMAS Quiberon, in 1959.

I have seen reports that the State Mine fire near Lithgow may have been caused by live ordnance exercises on Marangaroo Defence Range on Wednesday 16 October 2013. Last night I spoke to the Acting Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin, about the matter. The Australian Government and the Australian Defence Force take this issue very seriously and continue to fully cooperate with the New South Wales authorities, including the New South Wales Police, who are investigating the fire.

Australia’s new OneSky initiative will bring civil and military air traffic control together under one air traffic management system for the first time, improving aviation efficiency and safety. Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss has announced that Airservices Australia, in partnership with the Department of Defence, will enter into an Advanced Work contracting arrangement with Thales Australia – the critical next step for delivering OneSky.

The Albanese Government is implementing key recommendations of the Defence Strategic Review, taking steps to align our Army with the challenges in Australia’s strategic environment. As recommended by the DSR and agreed to by the Albanese Government, “Army should be structured and postured in accordance with the land domain force structure design priorities outlined in the Review.”

The Albanese Government will provide $12 billion towards delivering a Defence Precinct at Henderson to deliver continuous naval shipbuilding and AUKUS in Western Australia. Alongside the Albanese Government's record investments across shipbuilding and AUKUS in the West, these commitments will support 10,000 direct jobs over the next two decades as well as providing opportunities for small and medium sized businesses across the state. 

The Albanese Government is expanding housing options for Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families in South Australia, with 54 new Defence homes in Angle Park.  Australia’s service personnel and their families deserve access to modern, accessible and practical housing options, close to their place of work. 

Joint media statement: Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP   The Australian Government will provide further military support to Ukraine in response to Russia’s brutal, unrelenting and illegal invasion, at the request of the Ukrainian Government and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. To meet that request, in partnership with the Australian defence industry, we will provide an additional $25 million AUD of defensive military assistance for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Australian Government will provide a further package of support to assist the Papua New Guinea-led recovery response to the devastating landslide in Enga Province. Announced during a visit to the site of the landslide in Mulitaka with PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph and Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas, the additional support will help restore essential services in the province including local infrastructure, healthcare and education.