Australia
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Oceania
Pacific partners launch regional police training, coordination centers
FORUM Staff Two new facilities in Brisbane, Australia, will enhance coordination and training among police forces throughout the Pacific region, while bolstering multinational response capabilities, law enforcement leaders say. Part of the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI), the Pinkenba Hub and Pinkenba Training Centre were launched during a December 2024 ceremony attended by officials from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia,…
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Oceania
Allies, Partners aid humanitarian efforts in earthquake-damaged Vanuatu
FORUM Staff Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the United States and other nations are aiding Vanuatu after an earthquake hit the country’s capital, Port Vila, in mid-December 2024. The 7.6 magnitude earthquake leveled buildings, cracked bridges, destroyed water reservoirs, knocked out communications and internet access, and shut down the main wharf. Authorities said the quake killed at least 12…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Australia announces $118 million deal to enhance policing in Solomon Islands
The Associated Press Australia will pay for more police in Solomon Islands and create a police training center in the South Pacific island nation’s capital, Honiara. The $118 million package will provide support and training for Royal Solomon Islands Police Force recruits and “reduce any need for outside support,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in mid-December 2024. “My government…
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Oceania
Australia solidifies role as Papua New Guinea’s primary security partner
The Associated Press Australia has signed a security pact with its nearest neighbor, Papua New Guinea (PNG), strengthening Canberra’s role as the region’s preferred security partner. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape signed the agreement in mid-December 2024. Marape said his government initiated the deal, which respects both nations’ sovereignty and comes seven…
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Oceania
Training area upgrades bolster Australia-Singapore defense ties
FORUM Staff Enhancements at an expansive military training area in northeast Australia will accommodate thousands of visiting Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel each year and represent a milestone in the nations’ decades-long defense ties, officials say. The upgrades at Shoalwater Bay Training Area include combined air-land ranges; two urban operations live-fire facilities, the first of their kind in Australia; administration…
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Oceania
Australia, Nauru boost security, economic ties with new accord
Reuters Australia and Nauru finalized an economic and security treaty in December 2024, with Canberra pledging $64 million in direct budget support over five years and $26 million to boost security in the Blue Pacific nation. The agreement effectively blocks the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from forming police ties with Nauru, giving Australia a veto over Chinese involvement in…
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Partnerships
Keris Woomera showcases enhanced Australia-Indonesia military collaboration
Tom Abke Australia and Indonesia are enhancing their defense relations by fostering operational synergy and regional security cooperation under the nations’ recent defense cooperation agreement (DCA). The DCA, which builds on the bilateral Lombok Treaty of 2006 and previous defense cooperation frameworks, facilitates enhanced interoperability, legal protections for personnel operating on each other’s territory and comprehensive military exercises. “This agreement…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Australia, Japan, U.S. to hold trilateral military training
The Associated Press Japan will deploy troops for joint training with Australian and United States forces in northern Australia, the countries’ defense ministers said as they expressed concern about a spate of confrontations with the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) increasingly assertive military. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles hosted Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin…
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Oceania
Oceania defense force appointments highlight growing interoperability
FORUM Staff A series of historic firsts are accelerating initiatives to deepen interoperability among Allies and Partners as Oceania defense forces pursue shared national interests. In October 2024, New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Maj. Gen. Hugh McAslan was named Australia’s deputy chief of joint operations, the highest-level posting of a foreign military officer to the Australian Defence Force (ADF), according…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
CCP coercion stands in stark contrast to Coast Guard cooperation by Allies and Partners
FORUM Staff An increasingly aggressive coast guard signals the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) willingness to risk escalation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, analysts say. Meanwhile, like-minded nations are cooperating to uphold stability in the region. Rather than focusing on traditional law enforcement missions targeting smugglers or providing search and rescue, the CCP has militarized coast guard ships…
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