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Defence Minister David Johnston has reaffirmed the department’s close consultation with families of Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) personnel over any future redevelopment of the Seaward Village residential complex. “No redevelopment will take place at Seaward Village without extensive consultation with the families of serving defence force personnel living there,” Senator Johnston said today.

Defence Minister Senator David Johnston met Army Reserve soldiers during a dinner at Irwin Barracks, Karrakatta, Western Australia last night to recognise the rich history of one of Western Australia’s iconic infantry battalions. Speaking to members of the 16th Battalion, The Royal Western Australia Regiment (16 RWAR) at their annual Cameron Supper, Senator Johnston praised the troops’ commitment to the nation and thanked them for the opportunity to learn about the nature of Reserve service.

A 50-page Defence Issues Paper, containing a summary of the key issues for consideration in next year’s White Paper, has been released today by Defence Minister David Johnston. The 2015 Defence White Paper will allow the Government to take stock of the long-term opportunities and challenges for Australia’s defence and security.  “The purpose of this Defence Issues Paper is to set out the essential and fundamental issues for consideration as part of the development of the Defence White Paper,” Senator Johnston said.

Defence Minister David Johnston has been able to witness first hand the sorts of specialist low level flying skills the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) crack 37 Squadron employ on humanitarian air drop missions over northern Iraq. On Friday, Senator Johnston flew on board a C130J which conducted a practice air drop and a tactical low level flying display before landing the awe-struck Defence Minister back in Canberra.

Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston, is currently visiting Iraq and will then visit the United Arab Emirates.  “It’s in Australia’s best interests that we stand ready with the world – now in a coalition of more than 40 nations – to help the new Iraqi Government to disrupt and degrade the ISIL death cult and to regain control over its own country,” Senator Johnston said. In Baghdad, Senator Johnston met with Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, and other senior government officials. 

Defence Minister David Johnston has praised as “exemplary” the professionalism and dedication of Australian Defence Force personnel serving at key military establishments at Darwin in the Northern Territory.

Today in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, a ceremony was held to mark the commissioning of the Landing Craft Heavy HMPNGS Lakekamu into service with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF). HMPNGS Lakekamu was formerly the Royal Australia Navy Landing Craft Heavy HMAS Labuan, which was decommissioned from Australian service at a ceremony in Cairns last month. Defence Minister Senator David Johnston welcomed the gifting of MMAS Labuan, which fulfilled a commitment the Abbott Government made to Papua New Guinea last year.

The Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston today announced that the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has signed a multi-million dollar contract with BAE Systems for further rounds for the Nulka active missile decoy system. Nulka is a hovering rocket designed to seduce anti-ship missiles away from their targets. Senator Johnston said the $35 million dollar contract will produce additional Nulka rounds that will be delivered to both the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the United States Navy (USN).

Minister for Defence Senator David Johnston today announced that a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-17A Globemaster and a C-130J Hercules are departing from Darwin today to transport an Australian Medical Assistance Team (AusMAT) to the Philippines to give support following the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan.

Minister for Defence Senator the Hon Marise Payne today congratulated Defence Science and Technology Group senior executive Dr Tony Lindsay on his appointment as director of Lockheed Martin’s new Science Technology Engineering Leadership and Research Laboratory (STELaR Lab) in Melbourne. Dr Lindsay is one of Australia’s pre-eminent Defence scientists and is currently Chief of the DST Group’s National Security and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division.

Minister for Defence David Johnston today announced the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) will sponsor Re-Engineering Australia to undertake a pilot ‘Future Submarine Technology Challenge’ in selected Australian schools next year.  The school-based challenge will draw on the success of the F1 in Schools Challenge, also run by Re-Engineering Australia and sponsored by the DMO. “A career in a high-end discipline like systems design or engineering starts well before your first day on the job,” Senator Johnston said.

 Prompt Australian Defence Force support to Solomon Islands Government in the wake of last week’s devastating floods has been warmly welcomed by Defence Minister David Johnston.  Defence has an Assessment Team working with Australian Government personnel on the ground around Honiara while providing strategic air-lift support to the Australian humanitarian response, Senator Johnston said late today.

Subjects: Shipbuilding, submarines, Defence White Paper MINISTER PAYNE: Good morning ladies and gentlemen and David, thank you very much for your very generous welcome and to Chris Burns, Jack Mahoney, to the Premier of South Australia, Jay Weatherill, Opposition Leader, Steve Marshall, to Sir Angus Houston, and many other parliamentary representatives and I think Matt Williams is here somewhere, and Senator Nick Xenophon as well. The Senate’s very well represented this morning.

Minister for Defence Marise Payne and Minister for Justice Michael Keenan today announced Australian Government assistance to the Tasmanian firefighting effort, with the deployment of a portable base camp to house additional firefighters battling blazes in remote areas. The base camp will be established in the northwest of the state to accommodate approximately 250 firefighters from Victoria and New South Wales arriving in Tasmania over the coming days.  Senator Payne said Defence was pleased to be able to assist the national response to the Tasmanian fires.

Defence has signed a significant contract for an upgrade to the next generation of military communications for the Australian Defence Force. This contract with Boeing Defence Australia is a critical milestone in achieving a modern and networked Army, and is expected to create around 250 new jobs across Australia in the defence industry sector. The contract, valued at $665 million, will see Boeing design, develop and deliver a modern, digital communications system to support the deployment of operational headquarters and enable access to Defence’s strategic networks.

The Australian Government has given second pass approval for the acquisition of satellite terminals for deployed land forces, upgrades to existing satellite terminals and terminal monitoring and control systems, as part of Joint Project 2008 Phase 5B1. Approximately $180 million has been approved for the acquisition. Satellite communications are a critical enabler of Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations, connecting our troops on the ground with command and control, intelligence, geospatial and logistics information.

Today the Government releases the Report on Community Consultations following the 2015 Defence White Paper Community Consultation Program. This includes a number of recommendations made by the Expert Panel. The Report, Guarding against uncertainty: Australian attitudes to defence, sets out issues raised by the Australian community at meetings held around the country, and in written submissions responding to the Defence Issues Paper 2014.

The Abbott Government is delivering on its commitment to build a stronger Australian Defence Force (ADF). The Budget is part of the Government’s Economic Action Strategy to build a strong, prosperous economy and a safe, secure Australia. Restoring Defence Funding Providing for the defence of the nation is one of government’s most fundamental responsibilities.

Topics: Joint Strike Fighters, 2015 Budget, Greens leadership spill. MINISTER ANDREWS: This is a major project so far as the RAAF is concerned, so far as the Australian Defence Force is concerned, and particularly in relation to the local community here at Williamtown.

Wednesday, 20 January 2016 Subjects: Counter-Daesh campaign, Liberal pre-selections. … JOURNALIST Minister Payne, what has been achieved during the counter-Daesh meeting today? MINISTER PAYNE

QUESTION: (inaudible) JOHNSTON: We’ll see how the full-cycle docking for HMAS Farncomb, the length of time taken and how successfully ASC can manage that will probably be the benchmark, that’s what we’ve got to wait on. QUESTION: That’s for the submarines, what would you need to see, you say you want to see the shipbuilding, the AWD programme build up?

Subjects: Defence White Paper; Freedom of Navigation JOURNALIST: Minister, why is it so important to make sure that China is included in all discussions at this time? MINISTER PAYNE:

QUESTION: I notice this morning you started talking about the possibility of a rolling build for the Future Frigates, does that mean industry is very keen on it? JOHNSTON: An enterprise, that is that we get a planned acquisition of not just Future Frigates, but many Navy ships if we can be cost-effective. That’s the thing that industry really wants, that’s the thing that the skillset required really needs, some consistency of long term planning in naval shipbuilding.

QUESTION       Thanks for your time Defence Minister. Can you tell us what was achieved at the meetings just then, particularly with Japanese Defence Command? DEFENCE MINISTER       Well it showed us the interoperability between Japan and the United States and it also brought home to us that there is a much higher temperature in this part of the world than many Australians understand.

QUESTION: (inaudible) JOHNSTON: Our assistance to Iraq, at the invitation of the Iraqi Government, was the provision of two C-130 aircraft for humanitarian air drops into the mountains surrounding Erbil, to provide humanitarian assistance to the 30, 40, 50 thousand people who are apparently isolated and trapped in these mountains, surrounded, or partially surrounded by the ISIL or Islamic State terrorists. That is the extent of our operations, that is what we are doing in Iraq.

MINISTER: ...so important inform to us in the last several years. The Armidale class patrol boats have been working, as I said yesterday to you all, at a phenomenal pace. The crews have been simply magnificent in their performance of the difficult task of rescuing people, of apprehending boats, of saving the lives, of towing boats long distances and doing all of the things that they have had to do, as I say, in the last four years.

Subjects: 2016 Defence White Paper, infrastructure investment, local industry EWEN JONES:

QUESTION:    Can you tell me how important this opening in Canberra is for Airbus and the Government? JOHNSTON:   Well Airbus makes a magnificent contribution to Australia’s defence capability across a number of platforms, particularly helicopters and aircraft. I mentioned in the opening that we have the P-3 Orion being sustained and maintained by the Airbus Group, that’s a very, very successful operation for us.

MINISTER PAYNE: Well, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for joining me here this morning and giving me the chance to say a few words. Can I thank both of my colleagues, Senator David Fawcett and Matt Williams, the Member for Hindmarsh, for hosting me here in South Australia. I’m going to ask both of them if they’d like to say a couple of words. Matt, do you want to kick off? MATT WILLIAMS:

Subjects: 2016 Defence White Paper, Competitive Evaluation Process, submarine tender JOURNALIST: Minister, you said that Australia will choose an international partner for the submarine program. When will that decision be made and will it be before the election? MARISE PAYNE: