2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER

Current operations 141
5.92 Increased preparedness will ensure that the ADF has greater capacity
and agility to respond to strategic risks and to undertake a range of
operations at the same time.
Current operations
5.93 ADF operations are critical to the Government’s strategy for
protecting Australia’s security and prosperity. Around 2,500 ADF
personnel are currently deployed on operations overseas and on
border protection duties.
5.94 Since coming to office, the Government has deployed ADF personnel
to protect our borders as part of Operation Sovereign Borders, to the
Southern Ocean to protect our natural resources, to the Indian Ocean
to search for flight MH370 and to Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine as
well as on peacekeeping missions. The ADF has also been deployed
to a number of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in
Australia, providing support to the Australian community in the wake of
storms, floods and bushfires. In our immediate region, the ADF provided
a significant contribution to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
and recovery efforts in Vanuatu following Tropical Cyclone Pam in March
2015, in Nepal following the earthquake in April 2015 and in Myanmar
following floods in August 2015.
SECTION TWO CAPABILITY
5.95 Defence will continue to make a major contribution to Operation
Sovereign Borders to stop people smuggling, along with a wide range of
Government agencies, including providing maritime patrol aircraft, patrol
boats and large Navy ships, including a new large-hulled multi-purpose
patrol vessel, the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Protector. Defence
also helps protect Australia’s maritime area from other threats, such as
illegal exploitation of our natural resources, including illegal fishing.
The ADF’s maritime area of operations covers approximately 10 per cent
of the surface of the world, and includes Christmas, Cocos (Keeling),
Norfolk, Heard, Macquarie and Lord Howe Islands.
2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER