Australian Defence Force Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids 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 Australia's military. Its main job is to protect Australia. It is made up of three main parts: the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force. There are also other joint groups that work together.

At first, the Australian Government had three separate military services. But in 1976, they decided to bring them all under one main command. Over time, these three services started sharing their headquarters, logistics (how they get supplies), and training camps. This helps them work as one strong team.

The ADF is not as big as some other countries' militaries. However, it uses a lot of advanced technology. It has about 53,000 full-time service members. It also has 20,000 part-time reserve forces. This makes it the largest military force in Oceania. Even though it's smaller than most Asian military forces, the ADF can still send its forces to many places outside Australia when needed.

Images for kids

The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne was retired in 1982. This changed how Australia thought about its defence.
Australian soldiers lead American troops during Exercise Kangaroo '89 in northern Australia.
A RAAF C-130 Hercules plane being unloaded in Iraq during April 2003.
Australian Army ASLAV armoured vehicles in Afghanistan during 2011.
An Australian soldier training with Iraqi soldiers in November 2015.
Australia plans to buy at least 72 F-35A Lightning II aircraft for the RAAF.
The main offices for the ADF and the Department of Defence are in Canberra.
Australian Army soldiers protecting a Navy LHD Landing Craft during an exercise in 2018.
How the Australian Army is set up from 2019.
CHC Helicopters helps the ADF with search and rescue missions.
A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft. These planes gather important information.
Soldiers from the Army's 16th Air Land Regiment with their RBS 70 system.
The number of full-time ADF members between 2002 and 2016.
Members of the Army Reserve 5th/6th Battalion, Royal Victoria Regiment marching on Anzac Day 2006.
The Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra.
A female sailor on HMAS Canberra in 2016.
A RAAF airman putting together a bomb.
Soldiers marching in the 2013 Sydney Mardi Gras.
The Hobart-class destroyer HMAS Hobart being built in 2015.
The Canberra-class landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra.
Three of the RAAF's F/A-18A Hornets flying.
Adelaide class frigates HMAS Newcastle and HMAS Melbourne at their base.
An Army truck helping to clean up after floods in Brisbane in 2011.
The Navy's Armidale class patrol boats (like HMAS Albany) patrol borders and fishing areas.
Australian, British, and United States C-17 Globemaster planes in 2007.
An Australian commando training with a Filipino soldier in 2017.

Australian Defence Force facts for kids

Images for kids

See also