Key Developments
On 20 October 2026, the Minister for Defence said eligible Papua New Guineans could apply to join the Australian Defence Force, and the Department of Defence said nearly 300 Australian personnel had deployed to Japan for Exercise Keen Sword with Japan, the United States and other partners.
Key Statistics
- Nearly 300 Australian Defence Force personnel deployed to Japan for Exercise Keen Sword, according to the Department of Defence
- About 45,000 Japanese personnel were involved in Exercise Keen Sword, according to the Department of Defence
- 11,000 United States personnel were involved in Exercise Keen Sword, according to the Department of Defence
- 40 vessels were involved in Exercise Keen Sword, according to the Department of Defence
- 260 aircraft were involved in Exercise Keen Sword, according to the Department of Defence
Main Body
On 20 October 2026, the Minister for Defence said Australia had opened Australian Defence Force recruitment to eligible Papua New Guineans after the Papua New Guinea-Australia Mutual Defence Treaty was signed, while the Department of Defence said Australia had sent nearly 300 personnel to Japan for Exercise Keen Sword.
The Minister for Defence said Papua New Guineans would be able to apply to join the ADF from 16 November 2026. Separately, the Department of Defence said Exercise Keen Sword brought Australia together with Japan, the United States and international partners to improve readiness, interoperability and work on autonomous systems.
The announcements followed other Australian regional defence activity. On 7 October 2026, the Department of Defence said about 220 Australian personnel were taking part in Exercise Bersama Lima with Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom under the Five Power Defence Arrangements.
The measures mattered because the Minister for Defence presented Papua New Guinean recruitment as part of a close bilateral defence relationship, and the Department of Defence framed Keen Sword as support for collective security in the Indo-Pacific. The activity came amid CSIS reporting on a widening network of Pacific security arrangements involving regional states and external partners.
