The

Australian Defence Organisation The Australian Defence Organisation (ADO), also known as simply Defence, is an Australian Government organisation that consists of both the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Department of Defence (DoD). The ADO's collective aims are to "d ...

(ADO) is composed of the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

of the

Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, the

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...

(ADF), and the

Australian Public Service The Australian Public Service (APS) is the federal civil service of the Commonwealth of Australia responsible for the public administration, public policy, and public services of the departments and executive and statutory agencies of the G ...

government department, the Department of Defence which is composed of a range of civilian support organisations. The Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) leads the

and the

Secretary of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...

leads the Department of Defence though both jointly manage the

under a

diarchy Diarchy (from Greek , ''di-'', "double", and , ''-arkhía'', "ruled"),Occasionally misspelled ''dyarchy'', as in the ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' article on the colonial British institution duarchy, or duumvirate (from Latin ', "the office of ...

, and both report directly to the Minister for Defence. The highest active rank in the Australian Defence Force is reserved for the Chief of the Defence Force. This is a

four-star rank A four-star rank is the rank of any four-star officer described by the NATO OF-9 code. Four-star officers are often the most senior commanders in the armed services, having ranks such as (full) admiral, (full) general, colonel general, army ge ...

and the CDF is the only Australian military officer at that level. As a result of the diarchy, the Secretary of the Department of Defence is of the equivalent civilian four-star level in the Senior Executive Service of the

Command and Control

The Commander-in-Chief of the

is set out under Section 68 of the

Constitution of Australia The Constitution of Australia (or Australian Constitution) is a constitutional document that is supreme law in Australia. It establishes Australia as a federation under a constitutional monarchy and outlines the structure and powers of the A ...

, stating "the command in chief of the naval and military forces of the Commonwealth is vested in the

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

as the Queen's representative". In practice, the Governor-General is the ceremonial head of the

and command and control power is delegated to the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

and the Minister for Defence. The National Security Committee of Cabinet also plays an important role in the strategic direction of the

including directing overseas deployments and going to war.

Five-star level

Currently the five-star level is not an active serving rank in the

. Australia has only had one active serving

five-star rank A five-star rank is the highest military rank in many countries.Oxford English Dictionary (OED), 2nd Edition, 1989. "five" ... "five-star adj., ... (b) U.S., applied to a general or admiral whose badge of rank includes five stars;" The rank is t ...

officer within the armed forces of the

. This was Sir

Thomas Blamey Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey, (24 January 1884 – 27 May 1951) was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to attain the rank of field marshal. Blamey joined the Australian Army as a regul ...

who was appointed

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

in the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), who ...

in 1950 and presented his field marshal's baton by the then Governor-General William McKell. Blamey was seriously ill at the time and died three months later. Until his death, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh held the ranks of

, Admiral of the Fleet, and

Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force (MRAAF) is the highest rank of the Royal Australian Air Force and was created as a direct equivalent of the British Royal Air Force rank of Marshal of the Royal Air Force. It is considered a five-sta ...

. He was appointed to each rank on 2 April 1954. His Majesty George VI was also appointed

, maintaining the rank from 2 June 1939 until his death on 6 February 1952.

Four-star level

In the

, guided by the ''Defence Force Regulations 1952'', the level of

is that of commissioned officer O-10 in the

Australian Defence Force ranks The Australian Defence Force's (ADF) ranks of officers and enlisted personnel in each of its three service branches of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) inherited their rank structures ...

code. This means the

rank of

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

, the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister o ...

rank of

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

, and the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

rank of

air chief marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admi ...

. In the

, guided by the ''Public Service Act 1999'', the level of

is the equivalent civilian level of Senior Executive Service Band 4, which is styled as secretary with the leadership of a department. * Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) *

(SECDEF) *Director-General of the

Australian Signals Directorate Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), formerly the Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) is the federal statutory agency in the Australian Government responsible for foreign signals intelligence, support to military operations, cyber warfare, and i ...

(ASD)

Three-star level

In the

, guided by the ''Defence Force Regulations 1952'', the level of

three-star rank An officer of three-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-8. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, three-star officers hold the ...

is that of commissioned officer O-9 in the

code. This means the

rank of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

, the

rank of vice admiral, and the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

rank of air marshal. In the

, guided by the ''Public Service Act 1999'', the level of

is the equivalent civilian level of Senior Executive Service Band 3, which is styled as associate secretary or deputy secretary (DEPSEC) or a chief portfolio officer, with the leadership of a group or agency.

Australian Defence Force

Vice Chief of the Defence Force The Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) is the military deputy to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) of Australia, and acts as the CDF in his absence under standing acting arrangements. Vice Admiral David Johnston, the incumbent VCDF, has ...

(VCDF) * Chief of Navy (CN) * Chief of Army (CA) * Chief of Air Force (CAF) * Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS) *

Chief of Joint Capabilities The Chief of Joint Capabilities (CJC) is the head of the Joint Capabilities Group (JCG) in the Australian Department of Defence, part of the Australian Defence Organisation. This position was created on 1 July 2017. The current chief is Lieuten ...

(CJC) *

Chief of Defence Intelligence Defence Intelligence (DI) is an organisation within the United Kingdom intelligence community which focuses on gathering and analysing military intelligence. It differs from the UK's intelligence agencies (MI6, GCHQ and MI5) in that it is an ...

(CDI) * Principal Deputy Director-General of the

Department of Defence

* Associate Secretary of the Department of Defence * Deputy Secretary for Strategic Policy and Intelligence * Deputy Secretary for Capability Acquisition and Sustainment * Deputy Secretary for People * Deputy Secretary for Estate and Infrastructure * Chief Finance Officer * Chief Information Officer *

Chief Defence Scientist The Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) is part of the Australian Department of Defence dedicated to providing science and technology support to safeguard Australia and its national interests. The agency's name was changed from Defence ...

Two-star level

In the

, guided by the ''Defence Force Regulations 1952'', the level of

two-star rank An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...

is that of commissioned officer O-8 in the

code. This means the

rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

, the

rank of

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...

, and the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

rank of

air vice marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

. In the

, guided by the ''Public Service Act 1999'', the level of

is the equivalent civilian level of Senior Executive Service Band 2, which is styled as First Assistant Secretary (FAS), General Manager, Chief or Head with the leadership of a division or agency.

Vice Chief of the Defence Force Group

* Head of Force Design * Head of Centenary of ANZAC * Head of Joint Capability Management and Integration * Head of Military Strategic Commitments * Head of Reserve and Youth and Commander of the Australian Defence Force Cadets * Executive Director of the Australian Civil-Military Centre

Joint Capabilities Group

* Commander of Joint Capabilities (CJC) * Commander of the

Australian Defence College The Australian Defence College (ADC) comprises three joint education and training organisations operated by the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: * the War College, * the Australian Defence Force Training Cent ...

* Commander of the Joint Logistics Command * Commander Joint Health and Surgeon General * Head of Information Warfare

Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group The Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) is an organisation within the Australian Department of Defence, responsible for acquisition and supply chain management of military equipment and materiel including aircraft, ships, vehicl ...

* Head of Joint Systems * Head of Maritime Systems * General Manager for Submarines * Head of Future Submarine Program * General Manager for Ships * Head of Land Systems * Head of Helicopter Systems * Head of Aerospace Systems * Head of Joint Strike Fighter Program * General Counsel and First Assistant Secretary for Commercial * First Assistant Secretary for Program Performance * Group Business Manager * Chief Finance Officer

Strategic Policy and Intelligence Group

* Head of the Australian Defence Staff,

Washington DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

* Director of the

Defence Intelligence Organisation The Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) is an Australian government military intelligence agency responsible for strategic intelligence and technical intelligence assessments, advising defence and government decision-making on national se ...

(DIO) * Director of the

Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation The Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) is an Australian government intelligence agency that is part of the Department of Defence responsible for the collection, analysis, and distribution of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in ...

(AGO) * First Assistant Secretary for International Policy * First Assistant Secretary for Strategic Policy * First Assistant Secretary for Defence Industry Policy * First Assistant Secretary for Contestability * First Assistant Secretary for the Naval Shipbuilding Taskforce

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), who ...

* Deputy Chief of Army (DCA) * Commander of the Forces Command (CFC) * Head of Land Capability * Special Operations Commander Australia * Commander of the 1st Division (Deployable Joint Forces Headquarters) * Commander of the 2nd Division

Joint Operations Command

* Commander of the

Maritime Border Command The Maritime Border Command (MBC) is Australia's principal civil maritime security agency, a de facto coast guard, operating in the maritime domain to ensure compliance with Australia's maritime legislation by foreign and domestic non-state acto ...

* Deputy Chief of Joint Operations (DCJOPS) * Commander of Joint Task Force 633 (Middle East Region)

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister o ...

Deputy Chief of Navy The Deputy Chief of Navy (DCN) is the second most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of Navy (CN). The rank associated with the position is rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer ...

(DCN) and Head of Navy People Training and Resources * Commander Australian Fleet (COMAUSFLT) * Head of Navy Capability * Head of Navy Engineering

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

* Deputy Chief of Air Force (DCAF) * Air Commander Australia (ACAUST)

Defence Science and Technology Group The Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) is part of the Australian Department of Defence dedicated to providing science and technology support to safeguard Australia and its national interests. The agency's name was changed from Defenc ...

* Chief of Science Strategy and Program * Chief of Science Partnerships and Engagement * Chief of Research Services * Chief of Maritime * Chief of Land * Chief of Aerospace * Chief of Joint and Operations Analysis * Chief of National Security and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance * Chief of Cyber and Electronic Warfare * Chief of Weapons and Combat Systems

Chief Information Officer Group

* Chief Technology Officer * Head of ICT Operations * First Assistant Secretary for ICT Delivery

Defence People Group

* First Assistant Secretary for People Capability * First Assistant Secretary for People Policy and Culture * First Assistant Secretary for People Services

Defence Security and Estate Group

* First Assistant Secretary for Service Delivery * First Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure

Chief Finance Officer Group

* First Assistant Secretary for Financial Services * First Assistant Secretary for Resource and Assurance

Associate Secretary Group

* First Assistant Secretary for Ministerial and Executive Coordination and Communication * First Assistant Secretary for Governance and Reform * First Assistant Secretary for Audit and Fraud Control * First Assistant Secretary for Security and Vetting Service * Inspector General * Judge Advocate General (JAG) * Chief Judge Advocate * Head of Defence Legal

References

External links

Defence leaders: high-profile senior personnel

Australian Defence Organisation website
{{Australia topics Leadership of the Australian Defence Force Australian Defence Force

Command and Control

Five-star level

Four-star level

Three-star level

Australian Defence Force

Department of Defence

Two-star level

Vice Chief of the Defence Force Group

Joint Capabilities Group

Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group The Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) is an organisation within the Australian Department of Defence, responsible for acquisition and supply chain management of military equipment and materiel including aircraft, ships, vehicl ...

Strategic Policy and Intelligence Group

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), who ...

Joint Operations Command

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister o ...

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

Defence Science and Technology Group The Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) is part of the Australian Department of Defence dedicated to providing science and technology support to safeguard Australia and its national interests. The agency's name was changed from Defenc ...

Chief Information Officer Group

Defence People Group

Defence Security and Estate Group

Chief Finance Officer Group

Associate Secretary Group

See also

References

External links