Editing Australian Defence Force (section)

{{short description|National military force of Australia}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox national military
| name = Australian Defence Force
| native_name =
| image = Ensign of the Australian Defence Force.svg
| alt =
| caption = The [[Australian Defence Force Ensign|Australian Defence Force tri-service flag]]
| image2 =
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| motto =
| founded = {{start date|df=y|1901|03|01}} (as the [[Australian Army]] and [[Commonwealth Naval Force]])
| current_form = {{start date|df=y|1976|02|09}} (as the unified Australian Defence Force)
| disbanded =
| branches = {{plainlist|
* {{navy|Australia}}
* {{army|Australia}}
* {{air force|Australia}}}}
| headquarters = [[Russell Offices]] and [[Campbell Park, Canberra|Campbell Park]], [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory|ACT]]
| flying_hours =
| website = <!--{{URL|example.mil}}-->
<!-- Leadership -->
| chief minister = [[Anthony Albanese]]
| chief minister_title = [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]]
| minister = [[Richard Marles]]
| minister_title = [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister for Defence]]
| commander = Admiral [[David Johnston (admiral)|David Johnston]]
| commander_title = [[Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)|Chief of the Defence Force]]
<!-- Manpower -->| age = {{plainlist|
* 16.5 years (for selection)
* 17 years (to serve)
* 18 years (to deploy)
* 19 years (for special forces deployment)}}
| conscription = [[Conscription in Australia|Wartime only]]<ref name="DAs60">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|da190356|Defence Act 1903|60}}</ref>
| manpower_data =
| manpower_age =
| available =
| available_f =
| fit =
| fit_f =
| reaching =
| reaching_f =
| active = 57,226 (30 June 2024)
| ranked =
| reserve = 32,560 (30 June 2024)
| deployed = 1,841 (July 2020)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defence.gov.au/Operations/ |title=Global Operations |publisher=Department of Defence |access-date=13 February 2020 |archive-date=2 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402134908/http://defence.gov.au/Operations/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!-- Financial -->| amount = {{AUD}}55.7 billion<small> (2024–25)</small><br>(~{{USD}}36.8 billion)<ref name="Budget">{{Cite web|url=https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/army-news-2024/australia-unveils-record-37-billion-defense-budget|title=Australia Unveils Record $37 Billion Defense Budget|publisher=armyrecognition.com| date=2024-05-16|accessdate=2025-03-06|language=en}}</ref><br>([[List_of_countries_with_highest_military_expenditures|ranked 13th]])
| percent_GDP = 2.02% <small>(2024/25)</small><ref name="Budget"/>
<!-- Industrial -->| domestic_suppliers = [[Defence industry of Australia]]
| foreign_suppliers =
| imports =
| exports = Around {{AUD}}2 billion (2018)<ref name="Dziedzic defence exports">{{cite news|last1=Dziedzic|first1=Stephen|title=Federal Government accused of contributing to global arms race with defence exports push|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-29/aid-groups-lash-coalition-plan-to-become-major-weapons-exporter/9369962|access-date=29 January 2018|work=ABC News|date=29 January 2018|archive-date=30 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130065022/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-29/aid-groups-lash-coalition-plan-to-become-major-weapons-exporter/9369962|url-status=live}}</ref>
<!-- Related articles -->| history = [[Military history of Australia]]
| ranks = [[Australian Defence Force ranks and insignia]]
}}
The '''Australian Defence Force''' ('''ADF''') is the [[Armed forces|military organisation]] responsible for the defence of [[Australia]] and its national interests. It consists of three branches: the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN), [[Australian Army]] and the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF). The ADF has a strength of just over 89,000 personnel and is supported by the [[Department of Defence (Australia)|Department of Defence]] alongside other civilian entities also members of the [[Australian Defence Organisation]].

During the first decades of the 20th century, the [[Australian Government]] established the armed services as separate organisations, with each service having an independent [[chain of command]]. In 1976, the government made a strategic change and established the ADF to place the services under a single headquarters. Over time, the degree of integration has increased, and tri-service headquarters, logistics, and training institutions have supplanted many single-service establishments. The ADF has been deployed around the world in combat, [[peacekeeping]] and disaster-relief missions.

The ADF is technologically sophisticated but relatively small for its landmass. The ADF has 57,346 full-time active-duty personnel and 32,049 active [[military reserve force|reservists]] {{as of|2023|6|30|lc=y}} making it the largest military in Oceania, although it is smaller than most Asian military forces. However with a national population of just over 27 million, the ADF has an average ratio of [[List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel#List by the International Institute for Strategic Studies|military personnel per capita]].<ref>{{Cite book |author-link=International Institute for Strategic Studies |url=https://www.iiss.org/en/publications/the-military-balance/the-military-balance-2021/#:~:text=The%20Military%20Balance%202021%3A%20Features&text=Analysis%20of%20major%20developments%20affecting,arranged%20region%2Dby%2Dregion. |title=The Military Balance 2021 |date=25 February 2021 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=9781032012278 |edition=1st |location=[[London]] |pages=242 |language=en-UK}}</ref> The ADF is supported by a significant budget by worldwide standards and is well equipped and trained, with defence spending at 2.02% of GDP (as of 2024/25).<ref name="Budget" />