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Australian Defence Force facts for kids

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Australian Defence Force
Current form 1976 (ADF established)
Parts Australian Army
Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Navy
Headquarters Part of the Australian Defence Organisation
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove as representative of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia
Minister for Defence Marise Payne
Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin
Serving soldiers
Military age 16.5 years for selection process, 17 years to serve, 18 years to deploy on operations (2013)
Available to
be a soldier		 4,999,988 males, age 16–49 (2009 est.),
4,870,043 females, age 16–49 (2009 est.)
Fit to be
a soldier		 4,341,591 males, age 16–49 (2009 est.),
4,179,659 females, age 16–49 (2009 est.)
Reaching military
age annually		 144,959 males (2009 est.),
137,333 females (2009 est.)
Active employees/soldiers 57,982
Reserve personnel 23,232 (Active)
22,166 (Standby)
Deployed personnel 2,241 (10 September 2015)
Expenditures
Budget A$31.9 billion(2015–16)
Percent of GDP 1.92 percent
Industry
Annual exports Confidential, but thought to be over A$600 million

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It is made up of the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force and a number of joint groups.

At first the Australian Government set up three separate armed services. In 1976, the government decided to have a single military headquarters. Over time, the three services have combined headquarters, logistics and training camps.

The ADF is small, but uses a lot of technology. With 53,000 full-time active-duty service people and 20,000 part-time reserve forces, it is the largest military force in Oceania. It is much smaller than most Asian military forces. The ADF does not have enough people in some highly skilled areas, but it is still able to send forces in many regions outside Australia.

Images for kids

  • HMAS Melbourne (R21) and USS Midway (CV-41) underway, 16 May 1981 (6380752)

    The retirement of the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne without replacement in 1982 marked a shift away from the policy of "forward defence".

  • Kangaroo 89

    Australian soldiers lead a column of American troops during Exercise Kangaroo '89, which was held in northern Australia.

  • Australian C-130 H being unloaded at Tallil Air Base in April 2003

    A RAAF C-130 Hercules being unloaded at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, during April 2003

  • Five ASLAVs in Afghanistan during March 2011

    Australian Army ASLAV armoured vehicles in Afghanistan during 2011

  • An Australian soldier assigned to Task Group Taji conducts an after action review with Iraqi soldiers assigned to 71st Iraqi Army Brigade at Camp Taji in November 2015

    An Australian soldier with Iraqi soldiers during a training exercise in November 2015

  • RAAF F-35 taking off during the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition 2017

    The Australian Government intends to buy at least 72 F-35A Lightning II aircraft to re-equip the RAAF's air combat force

  • Russell Offices in November 2006

    The ADF headquarters and the main offices of the Department of Defence are located in the Russell Offices complex in Canberra

  • Soldiers with a LHD Landing Craft in May 2018

    Australian Army soldiers providing security for a RAN LHD Landing Craft during a joint exercise in 2018

  • Australia Land Forces 2018

    The Australian Army's structure from 2019

  • CHC Helicopter S-76 helicopter during Exercise Pitch Black in August 2016

    CHC Helicopters has been contracted to provide search and rescue and crash response services to all three branches of the ADF

  • A9-757 Lockheed AP-3C Orion RAAF (9687341571)

    A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft. These aircraft are fitted with advanced signals intelligence and electronic signals intelligence equipment.

  • 16th Air Defence Regiment soldiers posing with RBS-70 July 2011

    Personnel from the Army's 16th Air Land Regiment with one of the unit's RBS 70 systems

  • Australian Defence Force permanent force personnel strengths 2002-03 to 2015-16

    The average permanent strengths of the services between the 2002–03 and 2015–16 financial years

  • 5-6 RVR ANZAC Day 2008

    Members of the Army Reserve 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment marching through Melbourne on Anzac day 2006

  • ADFA Aerial

    The Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra

  • Able Seaman Maritime Logistics-Support Operations Codie-Lee Reid on HMAS Canberra at RIMPAC 2016

    A female sailor assigned to HMAS Canberra in 2016

  • RAAF airman constructing a Joint Direct Attack Munition in February 2017

    A RAAF airman assembling a bomb

  • Sydney Mardi Gras 2013 - 8522985059

    Soldiers marching in the 2013 Sydney Mardi Gras

  • HMAS Hobart under construction April 2015

    The Hobart-class destroyer HMAS Hobart under construction in 2015

  • HMAS Canberra arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for RIMPAC 2016

    Canberra-class landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra

  • Three RAAF FA-18 Hornets in flight at Red Flag 2012

    Three of the RAAF's F/A-18A Hornets in flight

  • HMAS Kuttabul, 2007 (03)

    Adelaide class frigates HMAS Newcastle and HMAS Melbourne moored at Fleet Base East

  • Australian Army truck being used in the flood clean-up

    An Army truck being used to clean up damage caused by flooding in Brisbane during Operation Queensland Flood Assist in 2011

  • HMAS Albany 2010

    The Navy's Armidale class patrol boats (HMAS Albany pictured) are mainly used for border and fisheries patrol tasks

  • RAF RAAF USAF C-17s 2007

    Australian, British and United States C-17 Globemasters and aircrew in Britain during 2007

  • Philippines Soldiers and Australian Special Forces Soldier, clear a room during close quarters battle training in support of Balikatan 2017 at Fort Magsay in Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija, May 12, 2017

    An Australian commando (at left) training with a Filipino soldier in 2017

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Fuerza de Defensa Australiana para niños

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