This week in Australian foreign affairs: Government invests $19 million to help Australian businesses join US submarine supply chain; Foreign Minister announces new diplomatic appointments to Jordan and Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology; Australia hosts 31st Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum following historic Pukpuk Treaty signing, and more.
On 17 October, Minister for Defence Industry and Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy announced a $19 million investment in the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification Pilot to help more Australian businesses secure high-value manufacturing contracts in the United States submarine industrial base. The Albanese Government awarded HII Australia an initial $9.6 million contract to deliver the pilot phase of the AUSSQ program in March 2025, with a further investment of $9.3 million announced to deliver additional work packages. The initial phase, delivered by H&B Defence – a HII and Babcock joint venture – focused on prospective Australian businesses in castings and forgings, and precision machining, while the second tranche will focus on industry uplift activities involving air and gas flasks, and fabricated parts. AUSSQ is helping local companies become approved suppliers to HII, the largest military shipbuilder in the US and one of two companies that builds US nuclear-powered submarines. Twenty-two Australian businesses are already taking part, with eight now fully qualified including MacTaggart Scott Australia, Levett Engineering, Century Engineering, H E Parts International, Veem, Hofmann Engineering, Dobbie, and MTA. Three participating Australian businesses – Hofmann Engineering, Veem, and Axiom – have been invited to quote for work in the US supply chain. Minister Conroy stated that “AUKUS is delivering real benefits for Australian industry and jobs,” noting that the program is helping build a strong, sovereign submarine enterprise that will keep Australia safe for decades to come.
On 19 October, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced two senior diplomatic appointments. Ms Paula Ganly was appointed as Australia’s next Ambassador to Jordan, a key partner for Australia in the Middle East and an important anchor for regional stability. Jordan and Australia celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations this year, with the relationship underpinned by security and defence cooperation and growing commercial ties. Ms Ganly is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently First Assistant Secretary of the Consular and Crisis Management Division. She has previously served overseas as Australia’s Ambassador to Iraq and through other postings in the United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, Czech Republic, Republic of Korea, Bangladesh and Venezuela.
Minister Wong also announced the appointment of Ms Jessica Hunter as Australia’s next Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology. The Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology leads Australia’s international engagement on cyber affairs and critical technology issues, while delivering cyber capacity and resilience building, and incident responses across the region. Minister Wong noted that cyber and critical technology – including the rapidly evolving domain of artificial intelligence – are foreign policy priorities for Australia, affecting all aspects of international relations from national security to economic prosperity and international stability. Ms Hunter will steer Australia’s international engagement under Australia’s 2023-2030 Cyber Security Strategy, focused on enhancing Australia’s role as a trusted and influential global cyber leader in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Ms Hunter has had a distinguished career in cyber affairs, including in the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and has served overseas as Head of Cyber Threat Operations Technical Teams at the United Kingdom’s Government Communications Headquarters and as Deputy Australian Liaison Officer at the United States’ National Security Agency.
On 20 October, the Albanese Government welcomed Ministers from Papua New Guinea to Canberra for the 31st Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum. The Ministerial Forum, co-hosted by Foreign Minister Senator the Hon Penny Wong and Papua New Guinea Minister for Foreign Affairs the Hon Justin Tkatchenko BEM OL MP, followed the historic signing of the Papua New Guinea-Australia Mutual Defence Treaty – the Pukpuk Treaty – by Prime Minister Albanese and Prime Minister Marape. The Treaty elevates the relationship to an Alliance, reflecting both countries’ commitment to a region that is peaceful, stable and prosperous. Foreign Minister Wong described this as “a historic moment in the story of our two nations,” noting that “we are the oldest of friends, closest of neighbours, and soon-to-be, newest of allies.” The Forum advanced shared priorities including the establishment of a recruitment pathway that will enable PNG citizens to join the Australian Defence Force, and investments in infrastructure and common capabilities to support the Papua New Guinea Defence Force’s training initiatives. The Government announced a new education and skills package worth over $150 million to support PNG’s productivity, economic growth and human development, delivered in partnership with the PNG Government and local organisations. The package includes four new investments focused on foundational education, secondary education, improving retention particularly for girls, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Additionally, Australia committed a $25 million humanitarian and disaster relief package which includes the construction of new humanitarian warehouses to strengthen PNG’s ability to respond to disasters across the country, a new twinning partnership between Australia’s National Emergency Management Agency and the PNG National Disaster Centre, and scoping for the construction of an emergency command and control centre in Port Moresby.
On 20 October, Minister for Defence Industry and Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy announced that the Albanese Government will gift 4,500 sets of Australian-made combat uniforms to the PNG Defence Force. In partnership with the Government of Papua New Guinea, the uniforms will be the same quality and fit as those worn by members of the Australian Defence Force but customized with the unique pattern of the PNGDF. For the first time, uniforms will also be specifically designed for and provided to PNGDF women. Initial orders for the delivery of 2,500 uniforms are valued at approximately $1.4 million. The uniforms are being designed and manufactured in Australia following a robust procurement process, including the supply of boots by New South Wales-based manufacturer Redback Boots, the supply of socks by Humphrey Law & Co, and the supply of shirts, trousers and hats by Australian Defence Apparel, both based in Victoria. Minister Conroy stated that “PNG is our closest neighbour and one of our dearest friends, and this gift underscores the strength of our enduring partnership,” noting that “as our defence forces continue to train together and improve interoperability, we will proudly see Australian and Papua New Guinean defence personnel standing shoulder-to-shoulder, wearing quality Australian-made combat uniforms.”
On 21 October, Australia and the United States completed the country’s largest and most advanced Marksmanship Training Range at Kangaroo Flats Training Area near Darwin. Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil, Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans’ Affairs & Northern Australia Luke Gosling OAM MP, and Special Envoy for Remote Communities Marion Scrymgour MP announced the completion of the $46.1 million facility, which was delivered under the $747 million United States Force Posture Initiatives Northern Territory Training Areas and Ranges Project. The state-of-the-art range features 24 firing lanes with cutting-edge fixed and moving targets extending to 600 metres, and eight sniper lanes capable of reaching 1100 metres. It also supports vehicle-mounted firing and night-vision training, significantly expanding tactical readiness. The new Marksmanship Training Range is part of a broader upgrade initiative across four Defence training areas in the Northern Territory, with the full project scheduled for completion by mid-2026. Assistant Minister Khalil emphasized that “this investment reinforces our enduring alliance with the United States, creating new opportunities for joint training and collaboration that enhance capability and interoperability.” The upgrades reinforce networked and resilient base infrastructure in northern Australia, boosting the Australian Defence Force’s ability to deter potential adversaries and deepen international defence cooperation.
On 22 October, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles announced his travel to Chile for the 2025 South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting. SPDMM provides a forum for regional defence ministers to enhance cooperation and drive Pacific-led responses to shared regional challenges. In its 10th iteration, this year’s meeting theme is ‘Integrated South Pacific’. While in Chile, the Deputy Prime Minister will conduct bilateral meetings with his Pacific counterparts to discuss opportunities to deepen cooperation and advance the continuing evolution of Pacific-led responses to regional security challenges, including natural disasters, transnational organised crime and climate change. SPDMM member countries are Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, with officials from Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States attending as observers, and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Waqa attending as a special guest. Deputy Prime Minister Marles stated that “this forum will provide an opportunity for defence partners in our region to discuss emerging trends in security challenges, and develop Pacific-led responses to shared challenges in order to support a peaceful, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
Foreign Minister Senator the Hon Penny Wong has confirmed she will deliver the keynote address at the AIIA National Conference Gala Dinner on 17 November. Further details are available on the AIIA website.
Emily Mosley is the Projects and Publications Manager for the AIIA National Office.
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