Editing Australian Defence Force (section)

==Bases==
[[File:HMAS Kuttabul, 2007 (03).JPG|thumb|alt=Colour photo of two grey-painted warships moored alongside wharfs. A large crane and several buildings are visible behind the ships.|''Adelaide'' class frigates {{HMAS|Newcastle|FFG 06|6}} and {{HMAS|Melbourne|FFG 05|6}} moored at Fleet Base East]]
{{Main|List of Australian military bases}}
The Australian Defence Force maintains 60 major bases and many other facilities across all the [[states and territories of Australia]]. These bases occupy millions of hectares of land, giving the ADO Australia's largest real estate portfolio. [[Defence Housing Australia]] manages around 19,000 residences occupied by members of the ADF.<ref name="Year_Book_Aust_2009-10_people" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Defence Housing Australia|title=Housing portfolio|url=https://www.dha.gov.au/annual-reports/2016-2017/dha-overview/housing-portfolio/|website=Defence Housing Australia Annual Report 2016–17|publisher=Defence Housing Australia|access-date=7 January 2018|date=2017|archive-date=13 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313191302/https://www.dha.gov.au/annual-reports/2016-2017/dha-overview/housing-portfolio/|url-status=live}}</ref> While most of the Army's permanent force units are based in northern Australia, the majority of Navy and Air Force units are based near Sydney, [[Brisbane]] and [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]]. Few ADF bases are currently shared by different services.{{sfn|Khosa|2010|pp=16–35}} Small Army and RAAF units are also located at [[RMAF Base Butterworth|Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth]].{{sfn|International Institute for Strategic Studies|2023|p=232}} The administrative headquarters of the ADF and the three services is located in [[Canberra]] alongside the main offices of the Department of Defence.<ref>{{cite web|title=Department of Defence|url=https://www.directory.gov.au/portfolios/defence/department-defence|website=directory.gov.au|date=25 May 2017|publisher=Department of Finance|access-date=14 January 2018|archive-date=14 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114205331/https://www.directory.gov.au/portfolios/defence/department-defence|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Royal Australian Navy has two main bases; [[Fleet Base East]] (HMAS ''Kuttabul'') in Sydney and [[Fleet Base West]] (HMAS ''Stirling'') near Perth. The Navy's operational headquarters, Fleet Headquarters, is located adjacent to Fleet Base East. The majority of the Navy's patrol boats are based at {{HMAS|Coonawarra}} in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], Northern Territory, with the remaining patrol boats and the hydrographic fleet located at {{HMAS|Cairns|naval base|6}} in [[Cairns]]. The [[Fleet Air Arm (RAN)|Fleet Air Arm]] is based at {{HMAS|Albatross|air station|6}} near [[Nowra, New South Wales|Nowra]], New South Wales.{{sfn|Chief of Navy|2017|pp=195–203}}

The Australian Army's regular units are concentrated in a few bases, most of which are located in Australia's northern states. The Army's operational headquarters, Forces Command, is located at [[Victoria Barracks, Sydney|Victoria Barracks]] in Sydney. Most elements of the Army's three regular brigades are based at [[Robertson Barracks]] near Darwin, [[Lavarack Barracks]] in [[Townsville]], Queensland, and [[Gallipoli Barracks]] in Brisbane. The 1st Division's Headquarters is also located at Gallipoli Barracks. Other important Army bases include the [[Oakey Army Aviation Centre|Army Aviation Centre]] near [[Oakey, Queensland|Oakey]], Queensland, [[Holsworthy Barracks]] near Sydney, [[Woodside Barracks]] near [[Adelaide, South Australia|Adelaide]], South Australia, and [[Campbell Barracks (Australia)|Campbell Barracks]] in Perth. Dozens of [[Australian Army Reserve|Army Reserve]] depots are located across Australia.{{sfn|Australian Army|2014|pp=52–54}}

The Royal Australian Air Force maintains several air bases, including three which are only occasionally activated. The RAAF's operational headquarters, [[RAAF Air Command|Air Command]], is located at [[RAAF Base Glenbrook]] near Sydney. The Air Force's combat aircraft are based at [[RAAF Base Amberley]] near [[Ipswich, Queensland|Ipswich]], Queensland, [[RAAF Base Tindal]] near [[Katherine, Northern Territory|Katherine]], Northern Territory, and [[RAAF Base Williamtown]] near [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]], New South Wales. The RAAF's maritime patrol aircraft are based at [[RAAF Base Edinburgh]] near Adelaide and most of its transport aircraft are based at [[RAAF Base Richmond]] in Sydney. RAAF Base Edinburgh is also home to the control centre for the [[Jindalee Operational Radar Network]]. Most of the RAAF's training aircraft are based at [[RAAF Base Pearce]] near Perth with the remaining aircraft located at [[RAAF Base East Sale]] near [[Sale, Victoria|Sale]], Victoria, and RAAF Base Williamtown. The RAAF also maintains a network of bases in northern Australia to support operations to Australia's north. These bases include [[RAAF Base Darwin]] and [[RAAF Base Townsville]] and three [[RAAF Bare Bases|'bare bases']] in [[Queensland]] and Western Australia.{{sfn|Air Power Development Centre|2015|pp=31, 44–45, 57}} Of the RAAF's operational bases, only Tindal is located near an area in which the service's aircraft might feasibly see combat. While this protects the majority of the RAAF's assets from air attack, most air bases are poorly defended and aircraft are generally hangared in un-hardened shelters.{{sfn|Peacock|von Rosenbach|2011|p=28}}