News – CONTACT magazine

An Army HX81 truck pulls a water tanker to demonstrate the new weighbridge at RAAF Base Amberley. Story by Warrant Officer Class 2 Max Bree. Photos: byPrivate Mikayla Abson.

Base overhaul a boon for Defence’s big haulers

22/01/202622/01/2026 Posted by Mike Hughes 141 Views 0 Comments 9th Force Support Battalion's (9FSB), RAAF Amberley

Defence’s MAN truck drivers will no longer struggle when weighing or washing their vehicles at RAAF Base Amberley thanks to

Australian Army Lieutenant Mitchell 'Tex' Walker in tank number 51 during the delivery of Australian M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Story and photos by Lieutenant Commander John Thompson

Australian Army News

Personnel prepare tanks for Ukraine delivery

22/01/202622/01/2026 Posted by Mike Hughes 175 Views 0 Comments M1A1 Abrams, Operation Kudu, Ukraine

The recent delivery of the final batch of M1A1 Abrams to Ukraine had special meaning for Townsville-born – and now

Wargamers from Defence Science and Technology Group and the Army Battle Lab engage in an analytical wargame. Story by Robert Nutbrown. Photo by Mandom Paje.

ADF Australian Army News Royal Australian Air Force Royal Australian Navy

Wargamers explore tech of tomorrow

20/01/2026 Posted by Mike Hughes 339 Views 0 Comments DSTG, Wargaming

Defence has staged the first Innovation and Asymmetry Wargame to explore how emerging technologies might shape future military operations. CAPTION:

Private Mathew Guy, A Company, 3RAR, keeps a keen eye on suspected militia activity across the border in West Timor, from East Timor's Oecussi Enclave. Photo by Corporal Brian Hartigan.

Australian Army Operations Veterans

SHOTS END TIMOR RAID – Diggers thwart enclave incursions

17/01/202617/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 699 Views 0 Comments

Following is a page-1 story from ARMY Newspaper published 3 February 2000By Corporal Brian Hartigan – now CONTACT Editor OECUSSI, JAN

Three Kiwi fishermen spotted in waters north of Gisborne, by an RNZAF Poseidon during a coordinated rescue mission. RNZAF photo.

New Zealand News

RNZAF training flight turns to real-life rescue

16/01/202616/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 738 Views 0 Comments

A training flight over the Hauraki Gulf turned into a real-life search and rescue operation for crew members of a

A94-983 Sabre in RAAF's 75 Squadron markings on its first flight after restoration at Temora Aviation Museum. Photo by Brian Hartigan.

News Royal Australian Air Force

RAAF slashes heritage fleet

16/01/202616/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 8226 Views 21 Comments

Royal Australian Air Force will dispose of eight of its 19 heritage aircraft following a review of “technical and airworthiness

DroneShield's rapidly deployable fixed-site C-UAS solution at a Defence site. Image supplied by DroneShield.

Australian News Science & Technology

DroneShield panelled for counter-drone solution

16/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 769 Views 0 Comments

Australian company DroneShield has been selected as a supplier for the Australian Department of Defence’s (Defence) Project LAND 156’s Line

A black-and-white newspaper clipping from a 1980s Army Newspaper showing military personnel.

Australian Army History News

Defence funds newspapers digitisation

13/01/202617/01/2026 Posted by Mike Hughes 739 Views 0 Comments

Step back in time this summer with Defence early service newspapers, which capture the spirit of Australia’s armed forces and

Royal Australian Air Force members help a civilian during the nationwide floods in 1974.

History News Royal Australian Air Force

Eight squadrons in biggest mercy operation

13/01/2026 Posted by Mike Hughes 594 Views 0 Comments

Step back in time this summer with defence early Service Newspapers, which capture the spirit of Australia’s armed forces and

Former Navy clearance Diver Wally Reynolds, right, with Phillip Meade after he descended 327 feet to set an Australian aqualung diving record 12 miles off the coast of Newport, NSW. Story by Corporal Darryl Gallagher.

History News Royal Australian Navy

Navy diving records broken then and now

13/01/2026 Posted by Mike Hughes 548 Views 0 Comments

Step back in time this summer with defence early Service Newspapers, which capture the spirit of Australia’s armed forces and

A photo from the 1984 newspaper article.

Australian Army History News

The 30-year-old mystery of the wallet

13/01/202613/01/2026 Posted by Mike Hughes 543 Views 0 Comments

Step back in time this summer with defence early Service Newspapers, which capture the spirit of Australia’s armed forces and

A soldier rides a Mechanical Mule in a 1960 photo from the Australian Army newspaper, now digitised through Trove.

Australian Army History News

From Mechanical Mule to modern mobility

13/01/202613/01/2026 Posted by Mike Hughes 491 Views 0 Comments Canungra

Step back in time this summer with defence early Service Newspapers, which capture the spirit of Australia’s armed forces and

An Australian Army M142 HIMARS is prepared for loading onto a United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at RAAF Base Amberley. Photo by Corporal Jesse Linards.

Australian Army News USA

Kenney Strikes Back in north and south parks

10/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1169 Views 0 Comments HIMARS

The Australian Army, United States Army and United States Air Force demonstrated a new capability as part of Exercise Kenney

A soldier views the new mySPECTRA software on his work computer. Photo by Corporal Luke Bellman.

ADF News Science & Technology

New software to manage Defence radio frequencies

10/01/202610/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 966 Views 0 Comments

Defence has completed operational test and evaluation on the new mySPECTRA software, designed to modernise management of the electromagnetic spectrum

Australian Olympians Haylie Powell and Natalya Diehm, Australian Olympic Committee member Melissa Romer, and Senior Indigenous Liaison Officer, Squadron Leader Coen Henry, sit on the ramp of a Royal Australian Air Force C-130J Hercules during Exercise Christmas Hop 2025, over the Northern Territory. Photo by Leading Aircraftman Campbell Latch.

News Royal Australian Air Force

Olympian joins RAAF

10/01/202610/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 868 Views 0 Comments

Women’s Olympic street skateboarder Haylie Powell is excited to be following in her parents’ footsteps by joining the Royal Australian

Group Captain Adam Saber gives a farewell gift to outgoing Commander Air Mobility Group, Air Commodore Bradley Clarke at a Change of Command ceremony at RAAF Base Richmond. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Mikaela Fernlund.

News Royal Australian Air Force

Change of command at Air Mobility Group

10/01/202610/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 801 Views 0 Comments

Air Mobility Group (AMG) aviators marched on the tarmac at RAAF Base Richmond on December 10 to farewell the outgoing

Warrant Officer of the Air Force Warrant Officer Ralph Clifton presents acting Flight Lieutenant Thomas James Carmody’s Australian Service Medal 1939–1945 and War Medal 1939–1945 to Julie Carmody. Photo: Aircraftman Jakob Reid.

News Royal Australian Air Force Veterans

War hero’s medals awarded 80 years late

10/01/202610/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 719 Views 0 Comments

Fire, exploding ammunition and a collapsing aircraft hangar didn’t stop acting Flight Lieutenant Tom Carmody (deceased) during the Second World

News Veterans

National Commemorative Service to honour Nashos

03/01/202603/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2182 Views 6 Comments

On 14 February 2026, National Servicemen’s Day, a National Commemorative Service in Canberra will mark 75 years since the inception of

Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force members participate in Virtual Flag: Coalition 26-1 at the 705th Combat Training Squadron, also known as the Distributed Mission Operations Center, at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

Australian Army News Royal Australian Air Force USA

Coalition enhanced on virtual Red Flag

03/01/202603/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1210 Views 0 Comments

The Virtual Flag: Coalition exercise, hosted annually by the 705th Combat Training Squadron, also known as the Distributed Mission Operations

Editor's Blog News

CONTACT sets massive new record

03/01/202603/01/2026 Posted by Brian Hartigan 911 Views 0 Comments

CONTACT has set a massive new record for the number of pages viewed on its web site in a calendar

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