Posted by Mike Hughes, Author at CONTACT magazine

RAAF personnel during Exercise Cope North 2024 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, US. Story by Flight Lieutenant Claire Campbell. Photo by Leading Aircraftman Kurt Lewis.

A stronger force leaves Guam

01/03/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 2257 Views 0 Comments C-27J Spartan, Exercise Cope North, Guam, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, US Air Force

Exercise Cope North 24 has finished after a rewarding four weeks in Guam for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF),

Australian Army soldiers from 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, conduct a clearance before a live-fire activity at Tully training area in Queensland. Story by Captain Brittany Evans. Photos by Trooper Dana Millington.

Australian Army News Videos

1RAR learn a lot in the jungle

28/02/202408/03/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 3161 Views 0 Comments 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, were led through a week of jungle warfare training at Tully, Queensland, in

Reviewing Officer, Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) General Angus Campbell, inspects the parade, band, pipes and drums at the 2024 CDF Parade. Story by Lieutenant Colonel Sandra Turner. Photos by Thomas Lucraft.

Australian Army News Royal Australian Air Force Royal Australian Navy

Parade marks the end of the beginning for officer aspirants

28/02/202403/03/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1999 Views 0 Comments ADFA, Cadets, Chief of Defence Force

Five weeks isn’t a long time, but for more than 350 of the Australian Defence Force Academy’s (ADFA) newest trainee

RAAF Security and Fire School students take an ice bath after conducting firefighting training – a measure of recovery and rehabilitation introduced by the Human Performance Optimisation team. Story by Corporal Melina Young. Photos by Peter Longland.

News Royal Australian Air Force

New training concept for stronger RAAF

28/02/202403/03/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1687 Views 0 Comments 1RTU, Human Performance Optimisation (HPO)

Gone are the days of trainees hiding injuries out of fear of getting held back. CAPTION: RAAF Security and Fire School

Leading Seaman Michael Mason marshals an Army CH-47 Chinook on board HMAS Choules during aviation training off the coast of Townsville, Queensland. Photo by Able Seaman Jasmine Saunders.

Australian Army News Royal Australian Navy

Landing and lifting at sea

28/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1581 Views 0 Comments 5th Aviation Regiment, CH-47F Chinook, HMAS Choules

HMAS Choules is back at sea to enhance its air movement capability and train Navy and Army personnel in essential

Trooper Lachlan Hinspeter, of 2nd Cavalry Regiment, dismounts from an Australian light armoured vehicle at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland. Story and photo by Captain Brittany Evans.

Australian Army News

Cavalry dismounts to attack

28/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1741 Views 0 Comments 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Carl Gustav 84mm, EF88 Austyer rifle

Troopers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment conducted anti-armour stalks at Piccadilly Gate, Townsville Field Training Area, in February to test

Australian Army gunners from the 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, competing in the US Army's Best by Test artillery competition in Oahu, Hawaii. Story by Major Taylor Lynch. Photos supplied by the US Army.

Australian Army News Overseas USA

Aussie gunners win on the world stage

28/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1547 Views 0 Comments 4th Regiment Royal Australian Artillery, US Army

A team of 31 gunners from the 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, won in a number of categories at the

An Australian Army CH-47F Chinook delivers plant equipment and additional personnel to the community of Bloomfield, Queensland, as part of the ADF support to the region following Ex Tropical Cyclone Jasper. Story by Corporal Michael Rogers. Photos by Leading Seaman Jarrod Mulvihill.

Australian Army News

Regiment provides flood of support

28/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1322 Views 0 Comments 51st Battalion Far North Queensland Regiment, 5th Aviation Regiment, CH-47F Chinook, floods

It was almost 11am on December 18 when Captain Reilly O’Neill received the call, and 24 hours later he was

Clearance diver trainees push themselves during a boot camp session as part of SailGP's pre-race activities at Bondi Beach, Sydney. Story by Sub-Lieutenant Tahlia Merigan. Photos by Able Seaman Lucinda Allanson.

News Royal Australian Navy

Sailors and divers go head-to-head at Bondi Beach

23/02/202424/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1827 Views 0 Comments Clearance Diver

The sun shone brightly on Bondi Beach, where SailGP teams and Navy clearance diver trainees went head-to-head in a battle

RAAF and US Air Force (USAF) personnel unload cargo from a USAF C-130J aircraft at Tinian North airfield during Exercise Cope North. Story by Flight Lieutenant Claire Campbell. Photos by Leading Aircraftman Kurt Lewis.

News Overseas Royal Australian Air Force

RAAF deploys contingent to Northern Mariana Islands

23/02/202424/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 2293 Views 0 Comments Exercise Cape North, US Air Force, US Marines

The Royal Australian Air Force deployed 383 Contingency Response Squadron (383CRS) to Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands for Exercise

Rear Admiral Lincoln Reifsteck, US Navy, presents Commander Daniel McCall, Royal Australian Navy, with a citation that accompanies the US Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

ADF People Royal Australian Navy

Submariner’s accomplishments commended

23/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 2112 Views 0 Comments AUKUS, Nuclear Powered Submarines, Royal Navy, US Navy

Two years since completing an exchange posting aboard a US Navy nuclear-powered submarine, an Australian submariner received the United States

A US Navy MH-60S Seahawk takes flight at Tinian North during Exercise Cope North 24. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Maddison Scott.

News Overseas Royal Australian Air Force

Island agility proves force readiness

23/02/202423/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1440 Views 0 Comments Exercise Cope North, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, US Navy, USAF, USMC

On Tinian, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the Royal Australian Air Force deployed forward with their multinational counterparts

The E-7 Trilateral Working Group at RAAF Base Williamtown. Story by Flight Lieutenant Imogen Lunny. Photo by Aircraftwoman Laura Flower.

News Royal Australian Air Force

E-7 Trilateral Working Group convenes at Williamtown

23/02/202424/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1607 Views 0 Comments Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C), E-7A Wedgetail, RAAF Williamtown, RAF, US Air Force

For the first time, air force experts have gathered in Australia to share solutions on airborne early warning and control

Soldiers conduct moving grenade drills at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland. Story by Captain Brittany Evans. Photos by Trooper Dana Millington.

Australian Army News

Lobbing grenades in Townsville

23/02/202424/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1708 Views 0 Comments 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, grenade, Townsville Field Training Area

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, (1RAR) conducted static and moving grenade live-fire training at the Townsville Field

Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Graney salutes during the national anthem as part of HMAS Newcastle’s decommissioning ceremony at Fleet Base East, Sydney, in 2019. Story by Olivia Ransome Gilding. Photo by Able Seaman Jarrod Mulvihill.

ADF People

A 20-year voyage of growth

23/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1048 Views 0 Comments

Having devoted 20 years of his life to the Navy, Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Graney reflected on the motivations that have

HMAS Warramunga fires its 5-inch naval gun during a joint live-firing with USS Halsey while at sea on regional presence deployment. Story by Lieutenant Commander Andrew Herring. Photos by Petty Officer Leo Baumgartner.

News Overseas Royal Australian Navy

Warramunga all fired up on Indian Ocean

23/02/202424/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1734 Views 0 Comments HMAS Warramunga, Japan Maritime Self Defence Force, Regional Presence Deployment, US Navy

Warships of the Royal Australian Navy, United States Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted two days of combined training

Leading Aircraftwoman Indianna Biles and Leading Aircraftwoman Olivia Jacobs conduct a stocktake prior to sealing the container holding the spares pack, ready for transportation to RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory.

News Royal Australian Air Force

F-35A readiness boosted with deployed spares pack

20/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 2809 Views 0 Comments F-35A Lightning II

A team of aviators have successfully built a second deployed spares pack for the F-35A Lightning II, enhancing supply-chain resilience

Lieutenant Commander Will Singer works on his repurposed bicycle sculpture as part of the ADF ARRTS program at the University of Canberra's Inspire Centre. Story by Flight Lieutenant Thomas McCoy. Photos by Leading Aircraftwoman Emma Schwenke.

ADF People Health and Wellbeing

Art for health’s sake

20/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1823 Views 0 Comments ADF Arts for Recovery Resilience Teamwork and Skills (ARRTS)

For Lieutenant Commander Will Singer, serving as the Deputy Director of Navy Communications and Media often involved juggling multiple high-pressure

HMAS Warramunga underway in rough sea state during a regional presence deployment. Story by Lieutenant Commander Andrew Herring. Photos by Petty Officer Leo Baumgartner.

News Overseas Royal Australian Navy

Rigorous training for deploying Warramunga

20/02/202424/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1879 Views 0 Comments Fleet Base East, HMAS Stuart, HMAS Warramunga, Regional Presence Deployment

Before HMAS Warramunga commenced Australia’s first 2024 Indo-Pacific regional presence deployment, Commanding Officer Commander Jennifer Graham put her crew through

Air Vice-Marshal Di Turton in Brussels, Belgium, where she is Australia’s first female military representative to NATO and the EU. Story by Captain Nicholas Marquis. Photo by Antje Devon.

ADF People

“Do what you love doing – you will make a difference”

16/02/202418/02/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 1816 Views 0 Comments

Air Vice-Marshal Di Turton saw her first conflict zone as a flying officer in Somalia, 1993, deploying with Air Lift