Posted by Brian Hartigan, Author at CONTACT magazine

A worker on the production line examines a freshly forged 155mm artillery-shell casing at the Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions factory in Maryborough, Queensland. Photo supplied.

First exports shipped from Queensland munitions plant

03/05/202303/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4371 Views 3 Comments Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions

Defence manufacturer Rheinmetall NIOA Munitions’ Queensland artillery shell plant is growing exponentially as it takes another important step towards full-rate

HMAS Perth returns home to Fleet Base West after a three-month deployment. Photo by Leading Seaman Brad Firin.

India News Pacific Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Perth home from three-month deployment

03/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1915 Views 0 Comments Exercise La Perouse

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Perth has returned home to a warm welcome from family and friends after three months

Royal Australian Navy Captain John Cowan (left) and Australian Army Captain Ash Bowers (right), discuss plans for Exercise Croix Du Sud 2023 with French Armed Forces Lieutenant Colonel Matthieu Pieter at the French Marine base in Plum, New Caledonia. Photo by Major Martin Hadley.

ADF News Pacific Videos

Complicated HADR rehearsals under Croix Du Sud

03/05/202303/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2778 Views 0 Comments Exercise Croix Du Sud

Australia will wrap up its involvement in Exercise Croix Du Sud on 6 May, after working with 19 nations to

News Rest of World Royal Australian Air Force

RAAF rescues Aussies from Port Sudan

03/05/202305/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4721 Views 0 Comments Operation Carnelian, Sudan

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Penny Wong said on Twitter this morning that a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft

Corporal Tegan Ross, photo by Sergeant Andrew Sleeman, and Bombardier Michael Nona, photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Emma Schwenke – rehearsing for their special duties during the King's Coronation in the UK.

ADF People News Videos

Two Aussies picked for special duties on Coronation day

02/05/202303/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2902 Views 0 Comments Coronation of King Charles III

Two young Australian Defence Force personnel have been selected to march alongside the newly crowned King Charles III and Queen

Australian Army personnel from the 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery and Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines observe an air-defence live-fire demonstration by the US Army at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui during Exercise Balikatan 2023. Photo by Leading Seaman Nadav Harel.

Australian Army News Pacific

International partners unite for live-fire demo

02/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1648 Views 0 Comments Balikatan

Artillery units from across the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), United States military and Australian Army united on Exercise

World WarII Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) veteran 100-year-old Jessie Strike-McClelland and Flight Lieutenant Justin Kelly during the 2023 Anzac Day service held onboard USS Midway, San Diego, California, USA. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Catherine Kelly.

ADF People Veterans

Centenarian boards USS Midway for ANZAC Day service

02/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1686 Views 0 Comments ANZAC Day 2023

At the age of 100, World WarII Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) Jessie Strike-McClelland got to mark Anzac Day

Australia's Federation Guard members march past Old College during a rehearsal for the Coronation of King Charles III, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Photo by Sergeant Andrew Sleeman.

ADF News UK

Practice to make perfect for coronation of a king

02/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2476 Views 0 Comments Coronation of King Charles III

Under a bright blue spring sky, members of Australia’s Federation Guard joined thousands of British and Commonwealth troops preparing for

Players from the men's ADF and NT PFES teams vie for the ball during the ANZAC Shield charity AFL match at TIO Stadium, Darwin, NT. Photo by Signalman Kobi Rankin.

ADF ADF People News

ADF defeated in ANZAC Shield charity AFL

02/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1535 Views 0 Comments

The ADF men’s and women’s Australian football teams could not make it three on the trot when they took on

Assistant Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Thistlethwaite lights a legacy torch during the launch of the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay at Pozieres British Cemetery, France. Photo by Sergeant Oliver Carter.

ADF Europe News Veterans

Legacy torch sets off on six-month journey

02/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1630 Views 0 Comments Legacy

Legacy Centenary Torch Relay has begun in Pozières, France marking the start of a journey to celebrate 100 years since

Commander Combat Training Centre Colonel Benjamin McLennan, Captain of the FS La Fayette Capitaine Jean, and Captain of the FS Dixmude Capitaine Emmanuel salute during the French national anthem at a wreathe-laying ceremony at ANZAC Memorial Park in Townsville. Photo by Lance Corporal Riley Blennerhassett.

ADF News Pacific

Commemorative service for French visitors

02/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1580 Views 0 Comments

To welcome the visit of French Ship Dixmude and French Armed Forces to Townsville, Australian Army personnel hosted a memorial

Australian Army soldiers deployed on Operation Kudu attend their own Anzac Day dawn service in the British countryside, taking time out from their Ukrainian-soldiers training duties. Photo by Sergeant Andrew Sleeman.

Australian Army News

Different Anzac Day for soldiers deployed on Op Kudu

02/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1897 Views 0 Comments ANZAC Day 2023

Anzac Day was very different but no less poignant for Aussie soldiers deployed on Operatuion Kudu as the sun rose across

Executive Officer of HMAS Perth Lieutenant Commander Grant Hamilton (centre) talks to US Navy officers from USS Charleston during their visit to HMAS Perth alongside Sembawang, Singapore. Photo by Leading Seaman Sittichai Sakonpoonpol.

News Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Perth hosts friends in Singapore

02/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1383 Views 0 Comments Exercise La Perouse

HMAS Perth recently hosted military counterparts while in Singapore after completing Exercise La Perouse in the Bay of Bengal. CAPTION:

News Veterans What's on...

Point & Shoot: Australian Veteran Photography Exhibition

02/05/202302/05/2023 Mark Direen 1702 Views 0 Comments

In a bid to unearth the untold stories of Australian veterans, veteran owned business Point Assist is proud to announce

Australian Army sappers from the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment prepare Elanora Bridge for demolition with high explosive during Exercise Terrier Walk at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Corporl Nicole Dorrett.

Australian Army News

Bridge demolition a real blast

01/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1909 Views 0 Comments Shoalwater Bay Training Area

Sappers from 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment made, and demolished, history on Exercise Terrier Walk by destroying Elanora Bridge in Shoalwater

Sergeant Ryleigh Egan, Joint Australian Training Team – Philippines (JATT-P), conducts a live-fire serial with the US Army on the M240B Medium Machinegun at Fort Magsaysay during Exercise Balikatan 23. Photo by Leading Seaman Nadav Harel.

Australian Army News Pacific Videos

Aussie infantry ‘blooded’ in the Philippines

01/05/202301/05/2023 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3382 Views 0 Comments 6RAR, Balikatan, Philippines

‘Balikatan’, meaning ‘shoulder to shoulder’ in the Filipino dialect of Tagalog, has been displayed through mateship and cooperation between Australian,