Speakers: Mark Hammond, Raff Ciccone

Transcript

Raff Ciccone

>> All right, Admiral, you have the call.

Mark Hammond

>> Hey, good morning, Chair Adver, Chief of Defense Force. Uh, I'm going to start by setting the context within which our sailors, soldiers, and aviators are serving before hitting on a few uh other pertinent points. Uh for context, we are increasingly serving in a complex and uncertain strategic environment. The rules-based order that we have known for over 80 years is under pressure from those who seek to challenge it and change it for their own benefit. More actors are using coercion and force. And in 2025, we saw the highest number of state-based conflicts since 1946 with 65 conflicts recorded in 35 countries. The continued deterioration of the global economic environment also has implications for stability and security around the globe, particularly for our region. Conflict in the Middle East has continued to drive up the cost of fuel and other essential commodities, placing additional pressure on economies and communities. Domestically, the counterterrorism threat in Australia remains set at probable, the espionage threat level at extreme, and social cohesion is under increasing pressure. At the same time, the forecasted intensity of this year's El Nino system is likely to be very strong and increases the risk of national disasters across Australia and throughout the South Pacific. Collectively, these factors mean there is an increased demand for ADF capabilities, an increased demand for ready standby forces to support our allies and partners, an increased demand to support potential stability and security contingencies and inevitably to support disaster relief operations. Against this backdrop, we have been very busy since the June Senate estimates. Our sailors, soldiers, and aviators have conducted numerous activities at home and across the globe. In Eastern Europe, we continue to train personnel from the armed forces of Ukraine as part of the Norwegian-led Operation Liio in Poland. Several ADF members are also embedded into the NATO security assistance and training for for Ukraine headquarters. In the Middle East, we continue to support the collective self-defense of our partners in the Gulf nations by the deployment of Royal Australian Air Force E7 wedge tale In the Indo-Pacific, we've conducted operations alongside our allies and partners, including operations render, safe, gateway, and Salania, and regional presence deployments to support regional security and stability. We've increased interoperability and deepened partnerships with our allies and partners through exercises such as Southern Jackaroo, Rim of the Pacific, Pitch Black, and Keris Woomer. Notably, HMA ships supply and stored have recently conducted Indo-Pacific deployments, delivering critical replenishment sustainment support to ADF operations and our partners and demonstrating the com the growing maturity of the Australian auxiliary oiler replenishment capability. Of note, a fault in the propulsion systems of two of our landing uh our two landing helicopter dock ships has been identified that is being remediated. Adelaide is currently undergoing repairs. Uh and once completed, CBREA will then have that defect remediated. During this period, HMIS Chules continues to provide coverage for amphibious and domestic support requirements, ensuring defense retains an appropriate level of contingency response capability. And earlier this month, we commemorated the 25th anniversary of the commencement of Australian operations in Afghanistan, our nation's longest military campaign. Our people undertake far more activities than I can cover in this opening statement. These examples, however, covering the period from June till now, demonstrate the breadth, scale, and impact of the ADF's work. The ADF remains focused on the three strategic objectives we've been directed to achieve in the 2026 National Defense Strategy to shape, to deter, and to To guide how we will deliver on this direction, the senior leadership team and I have developed my commander's intent which sets out the shared vision, priorities and values for the ADF following a meeting on my first day in this role with the three stars in this room. It calls for us to optimize the use of our resources to be lean where we can so we can invest where we must to create a force which is as large and lethal as we can make it with the available resources. We are we are doubling down on diplomacy, deterrence, and partnership. And we will continue to leverage that force multiplying impact of our allies and partners. And importantly, we are strengthening the resilience and well-being of our people and their families to ensure they are supported, respected, and protected throughout their service and beyond. A key part of this effort is the continued implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into defense and veteran suicide with work well progressed on the 76 recommendations for which defense has full or joint October though has been a difficult month for the ADF. We experienced the tragic loss of one of our soldiers when Corporal Brendan Hannam was killed during a training exercise and five of his mates were injured. An investigation of this accident is ongoing, but the accident highlights the risks our people confront every day. Training as we intend to fight is essential to our ability to fulfill our mission to defend Australia and its national interests. This demands realistic training in conditions mirroring those our sailors, soldiers, and aviators would likely face in conflict. Realistic training requires us to approach risk professionally and deliberately, identifying, understanding, assessing, and appropriately treating it in the context in which we operate. This approach enables us to train how we intend to fight and then come home As such, I've directed the inspector general of the Australian Defense Force to conduct a review to determine if there are common causal factors that may have contributed to fatal training accidents over the last few years. My commitment to both the nation and our people is that I will be transparent about the findings of the review and any changes that follow. Ultimately, our profession is one where our members must be able to rely on and trust one another in the most challenging circumstances. In this context, the act of betrayal involving a recording device in a bathroom on HMIS Luen was an appalling violation of that trust and the person responsible will be held to account. While I am unable to comment on the ongoing investigation, I will state that my top priority is ensuring that those affected by this incident receive the support they need. A complete fleet audit has been completed. No additional devices have been identified and HMAS LUN is now at sea on operations. I'd like to finish by acknowledging all of our people, Australian Defense Force APS and contractors, as well as our defense families for their efforts and service. In particular, the roughly 2,800 men and women currently deployed around the world. As an all volunteer force, every member of the ADF has chosen to serve our nation and in doing so willingly accepts the demands, the risks and sacrifices that accompany that commitment. Australian sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, moms and dads, friends and communities, every one of us stand ready to do the nation's toughest work under the most challenging conditions imaginable, wherever and whenever These people are our greatest capability. Our success depends on their readiness, their commitment, their professionalism, and the support of their families and Australians at large. Finally, they are represented here today not just by the senior officers and veterans in this room, but also by our nation's most senior sailors, soldiers, and aviators from the services seated behind me in the gallery today. And I'd like to particularly uh pay my respects to to those individuals for their decades of service and leadership as our senior non-commissioned officers. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Senator.