Overseas – CONTACT magazine

Australian and Philippine soldiers operate Zodiac inflatable boats as part of small boats and coastal defence training during Exercise Kasangga. Story by Warrant Officer Class 2 Max Bree.

Small boats, big connections

28/11/202528/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 405 Views 0 Comments 5th/7th Battalion RAR, Exercise Kasangga, Philippines

Three Zodiac boats full of Australian and Filipino soldiers landed on a rocky outcrop down the coast from a fortified

International partners train with Samoan Emergency Services and Police during Exercise Pacific Partnership in Samoa. Story by Captain Katy Manning. Photos by Corporal Dana Millington.

Australian Army News Pacific

The best prepare for the worst

28/11/202528/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 411 Views 0 Comments Headquarters 1st (Australian) Division, Samoa

Regional cooperation and disaster-response capability received a boost during the latest iteration of Exercise Pacific Partnership, held in Samoa. CAPTION:

RNZAF Combat Operations Support Squadron support Exercise Tuhono Rangi at RNZAF Base Woodbourne, an exercise in support of visiting Luftwaffe A400M. NZDF image supplied.

Europe New Zealand News

Luftwaffe exercise delivers benefits for New Zealand

27/11/202527/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 502 Views 0 Comments

Exercise Tūhono Rangi, a landmark joint training operation with the German air force (Luftwaffe), has wrapped up for the New

Australian Army Sapper Nicholas Carmont cooks food during a jungle survival course in the Philippines on Exercise Kasangga. Story by Warrant officer Class 2 Max Bree. Photos by Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Asia Australian Army News

Learning tricks of the tracking trade

26/11/202526/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 443 Views 0 Comments 5th/7th Battalion RAR, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Exercise Kasangga

Corporal Rory Murray thought he might’ve been OK at combat tracking as he followed bent leaves and footprints that turned

From left, the Indian Navy’s INS Sahyadri, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s JS Hyuga, the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Ballarat and the United States Navy’s USS Fitzgerald sail in company off the coast of Guam during Exercise Malabar. Story by Sub-Lieutenant Jake Badior. Photo by Leading Seaman Connor Morrison.

News Pacific Royal Australian Navy

Exercise Malabar strengthens maritime partnerships

26/11/202526/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 602 Views 0 Comments Exercise Malabar, Guam, HMAS Ballarat, P-8A Poseidon

Australia joined India, Japan and the United States for Exercise Malabar, a key Indo-Pacific maritime activity designed to deepen interoperability

Philippine Army soldiers fire an 81mm mortar during Exercise Kasangga. Story and photos by Warrant Officer Class 2 Max Bree.

Asia Australian Army News

Trading combat knowledge in the Philippines

26/11/202526/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 384 Views 0 Comments Armed Forces of the Philippines, Exercise Kasangga, Joint Australian Training Team – Philippines (JATT-P)

From beautiful beaches to dense, mountain jungle, a combat team of Australian soldiers traded knowledge with Philippine counterparts on the

New livery for RNZAF on its new Airbus A321XLR. Images supplied by RNZAF.

New Zealand News

New livery on new transport for RNZAF

22/11/202522/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 779 Views 0 Comments

A six-year lease-to-buy deal to acquire replacement strategic transport aircraft for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has been

Royal Australian Navy officer Commander Roy Casson, centre, and the team at the Thales Defence Mission Systems facility in Brest, France. Story by Midshipman Thomas Norman.

Europe News Royal Australian Navy

Hunter hits milestone on sonar suite

21/11/202521/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 729 Views 0 Comments Hunter-class frigate, Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Group, Thales

Another major milestone has been achieved for NuShip Hunter with the successful factory acceptance test (FAT) of the towed body handling system

United States Army 17th Field Artillery Brigade High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) during the Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023 firepower demonstration at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland. Photo by Corporal Jacob Joseph.

News USA

Lockheed Martin delivers 750th HIMARS launcher

14/11/202514/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 823 Views 0 Comments

Lockheed Martin has marked a major milestone delivering the 750th HIMARS launcher to the US Army. FILE PHOTO: United States Army

Defence Cooperation Program qualified flying instructor Squadron Leader Cory Fischer and PNG Defence Force Air Transport Wing Second Lieutenant Rothman Spaiye flying a PNG Defence Force PAC-750XL. Story by Squadron Leader Belinda Culley. Photo by Squadron Leader Cory Fischer.

News Overseas Royal Australian Air Force

RAAF aviators strengthen PNG partnership

12/11/202512/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 879 Views 0 Comments Air Mobility Group, Air Mobility Group (AMG), C-27J Spartan, Defence Cooperation Program, Defence Pacific Assistance Program (DPAP)

In a display of regional cooperation and capability enhancement, RAAF 35 Squadron’s C-27J Spartan aircraft continues supporting the long-standing Defence

Europe New Zealand News

Luftwaffe training visit to New Zealand

09/11/202509/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1349 Views 0 Comments

Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) will host several German air force (Luftwaffe) aircraft, working alongside the visitors as they

Exercise Suman Warrior 2025 underway in Linton Military Camp, New Zealand. Exercise SUMAN Warrior seeks to enhance the interoperability between Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) nations. NZDF photo supplied.

New Zealand News

New Zealand hosts Five Powers exercise

08/11/202508/11/2025 Posted by Brian Hartigan 764 Views 0 Comments

Manawatū’s Linton Military Camp is this month the battlefield headquarters for leading soldiers from New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and

Seaman Angus Norbury and Able Seaman Christopher Diviak lay a wreath on board HMAS Ballarat during a service commemorating the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Story by Sub-Lieutenant Jake Badior. Photos by Leading Seaman Connor Morrison.

History Lest We Forget News Overseas Royal Australian Navy

Honouring our fallen

07/11/202507/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 820 Views 0 Comments HMAS Ballarat, WWII

HMAS Ballarat paused at sea to honour those who fought and fell in the Battle of Leyte Gulf – one of the

Australian Army soldier Private Annaliese Luckman, of 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, conducts an urban clearance as part of Exercise Wantok Warrior in Lae, PNG. Story by Captain Tadek Markowski. Photos by Lance Corporal Jessica Gray.

Australian Army News Overseas

Urban warfare realism on Wantok Warrior

07/11/202507/11/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 1173 Views 0 Comments 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, 5th Aviation Regiment, Exercise Wantok Warrior, PNG, PNGDF

The sun isn’t yet up but Major Patrick Hoare, Officer Commanding Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR),

Australian Army soldiers from 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, with their gold medals, awarded from Exercise Cambrian Patrol. Story by Corporal Michael Rogers. Photos by Lance Corporal Caitlyn Davill.

Australian Army News UK

Australia’s best take on premier patrolling test

31/10/202531/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 996 Views 0 Comments 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, Duke of Gloucester Cup, Exercise Cambrian Patrol, UK Armed Forces

Soldiers from 1st Battalian, the Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), achieved gold at this year’s Exercise Cambrian Patrol, proving why they

Cyber warfare specialist Leading Seaman Joel Kviz while deployed to Japan for Operation Argos, working from Kadena Air Base. Story by Corporal Luke Bellman and Lieutenant Emily Tinker. Photos by Corporal Luke Bellman.

ADF ADF People Cyber Japan News

Deployed cyber specialists deliver mission assurance

31/10/202531/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 930 Views 0 Comments Cyber Command, cyber warfare, Japan, Operation Argos

Delivering ‘cyber assurance’ to Defence operations is a responsibility that requires cyber warfare specialists to work abroad, working in a

Trooper Megan Creamer helps deliver donated goods during a community outreach activity in the Papua New Guinea Central Highlands village of Kosipe during Exercise Helicon Luk. Story and photos by Captain Tadek Markowski.

Australian Army News Overseas

Goodwill gesture a hit in the highlands

29/10/202529/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 1299 Views 0 Comments 5th Aviation Regiment, CH-47F Chinook, Exercise Helicon Luk, PNG

Each year Army Aviation sends aircraft to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to qualify pilots and aircrew operators on flying in

Royal Australian Air Force Flying Officer Eric Morant and Leading Aircraftman Lachlan McAndrew exchange mission data from the P-8A during Operation Argos at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Story and photos by Corporal Luke Bellman.

Japan News Royal Australian Air Force

Precision and partnership drive Argos success

28/10/202528/10/2025 Posted by Mike Hughes 934 Views 0 Comments Japan, No. 11 Squadron, No. 87 Squadron, Operation Argos, P-8A Poseidon, united Nations Security Council

On Operation Argos, intelligence informed each flight, operations coordinated it in real-time and mission assurance specialists processed every byte of data