Australia and Papua New Guinea Launch ADF Recruitment Program

Australia and Papua New Guinea will begin the enlistment of Papua New Guinean nationals into the Australian Defence Force over the next year. Richard Marles, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, announced the initiative in Port Moresby on August 16, 2026, as the first project under the Pukpuk Treaty.

The treaty, which entered into force on July 8, 2026, establishes Papua New Guinea as Australia's third defence ally alongside the United States and New Zealand. It marks Papua New Guinea's first defence treaty and Australia's first new alliance in over 70 years. Recruitment will begin with a small-scale pilot program targeted for 2027, with officials intending to scale the process to include thousands of personnel over the next decade.

Beyond recruitment, the pact mandates infrastructure spending, collaborative exercises, and increased interoperability, allowing both nations' forces to operate within each other's territories. Current cooperation includes Exercise Puk Puk 2026, which involves infrastructure upgrades at Igam Barracks in Lae, hydrographic surveys by HMAS Leeuwin, and the delivery of health supplies in West Sepik. Final decisions on the recruitment process will be determined over the next two months before a ministerial forum in October.