Defence Forces

Designed to probe the devastating downing of an army helicopter that killed four people, the Taipan inquiry became something so much more — exposing deep flaws within the Australian Defence Force and exploring the very core of its culture.

Sarah Loft giving evidence at the inquiry.

Captain Danniel Lyon, Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs died when their MRH-90 Taipan helicopter ditched into the ocean off the Queensland coast in 2023.

Both members of the crew ejected before the jet plunged into the water and were recovered by a rescue helicopter, the official said.

Major General Stephen Jobson gave evidence about the Taipan fleet at the inquiry

Major General Stephen Jobson told an independent inquiry into the crash that the problems with the Taipan fleet were well-known among higher-ups. 

Air strikes by India against Pakistan are a major escalation in India-Pakistan tensions that experts say could, if taken to the extreme, result in nuclear conflict.

Australia could get its own version of the UK's decorated Gurkha warriors under a new security treaty expected to allow PNG citizens to join the ADF.

Pakistan said it has "credible intelligence" that India intends to launch military action soon, as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours escalate.

While the diplomatic tone has softened between Australia and China, the tensions between the two countries have not disappeared, and could still shape how some Australians vote on Saturday.

As Communist forces surrounded Saigon, these RAAF members returned to Vietnam for a final humanitarian mission.

A fleet of retired tanks the Albanese government pledged to Ukraine last year remain stuck in Australia, with defence figures in part blaming resistance from the United States for their delayed transfer.

The head of Australia's anti-corruption watchdog has been repeatedly photographed in full military regalia since taking on the $780,000 a year role.

The transition from military service to a career in firefighting is a natural fit for many in the Australian Army, a former commando says, describing it as "going from one family to another".

We have a sometimes mystifying relationship with ideas about honouring those who serve our country, and with ideas about how we defend it.

The strike on a "well known" United Nations compound last month left one employee of the organisation dead and forced the UN to temporarily reduce its staffing in Gaza.

Bases in Australia's north, including in WA's Kimberley, are seen as the nation's first line of protection. As pressure from China and Russia looms, what's being done to boost the region's defences?

A new fleet of tug boats that the Defence Department ordered for the Royal Australian Navy has been secretly built at a Chinese shipyard under a $28 million contract awarded last year to a Dutch company. 

They often shy away from the spotlight, but signallers play a crucial role in defending Australia. They'll be recognised for their service by leading Anzac Day marches across the nation.

The Coalition says, with United States becoming more isolationist, Australia must boost its defence budget.