Defense treaty to further deepen enduring Australia-PNG ties

FORUM Staff

Fifty years after Papua New Guinea (PNG) formed its Defence Force upon achieving independence from Australia, the nations’ troops are set to serve in each other’s forces under a proposed defense treaty.

The pact, which follows a 2023 bilateral security agreement, will build on the nations’ “unique history and closeness,” their defense ministers announced in February 2025. The enduring relationship “was born out of conflict in the Pacific” during World War II, PNG Defence Minister Dr. Billy Joseph said in a statement.

Canberra and Port Moresby are deepening engagement and enhancing interoperability amid rising tensions largely driven by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) attempts to gain influence in the Pacific region. Beijing’s destabilizing actions include its secretive 2022 security pact with Solomon Islands and its recent live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said the February 2025 exercise, during which three CCP warships entered Australia’s exclusive economic zone, was “not unprecedented, but unusual,” The Associated Press reported.

Under their 2023 security deal, Australia is investing $130 million for infrastructure and training to help PNG double its police force to 10,000 officers. The nations’ defense forces, meanwhile, conduct regular bilateral exercises such as Olgeta Warrior and Puk Puk, and Australia has provided PNG with assets including light transport aircraft.

In 2023, PNG troops participated in the Australia-hosted Talisman Sabre for the first time, and Joseph and Marles announced that PNG will stage a portion of the biennial drills in mid-2025 — the first time the multinational exercise has ventured beyond Australia. In another historic move, a PNG officer was appointed deputy commander of the Australian Army’s 3rd Brigade in 2024.

Days after Joseph and Marles met in Brisbane, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter jets stopped for refueling in Port Moresby while en route to northern Australia after participating in exercise Cope North in Guam with Japan and the United States. They were the first RAAF F-35s to land in the island nation, the PNG Post-Courier newspaper reported.

Also in February, PNG Prime Minister James Marape outlined a 20-year blueprint for modernizing the nation’s forces, including:

• Investing in training and equipment to create a professional force comprising three land battalions and 5,000 to 7,000 personnel.
• Establishing a joint Air Wing to support law enforcement and defense operations, disaster response, and other national security initiatives.
• Expanding logistical and support capabilities, such as engineering and medical services, to reduce reliance on private contractors.
• Providing military training for civilians and activating a reserve force to ensure crisis preparedness.

“We must rebuild our Defence Force to be among the best in the region,” Marape said. “A strong, well-equipped military is vital to protecting our sovereignty and ensuring national security in an increasingly complex world.”

Separated from Australia by 150 kilometers of the Torres Strait, PNG was administered by its southern neighbor for decades before its independence in 1975. Its Defence Force initially was formed from Australian Army and Pacific Islands Regiment personnel. A half-century later, the proposed defense treaty “would make it easier for Australia and PNG to support each other’s security and contribute to the collective security of the region,” Joseph and Marles noted.

“The closeness and respect between both forces was forged by standing shoulder-to-shoulder during the darkest days of World War Two,” they stated. “While much has changed in the 50 years since independence, our unique defence ties have only strengthened.”