PNG and Australia Prepare First Joint Defence Recruitment Intake for 2027

A new phase of defence cooperation between Papua New Guinea and Australia is expected to begin next month, when applications open for Papua New Guineans seeking to enlist in the Australian Defence Force.

Three universities — the University of Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea University of Technology and Pacific Adventist University — have been identified for the pilot recruitment programme, which is expected to bring in 100 recruits during 2027 and 2028.

 PNG and Australia Prepare First Joint Defence Recruitment Intake for 2027

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed the plans after the 32nd PNG-Australia Ministerial Forum, saying the initial intake would help establish a recruitment system that could eventually be expanded.

Applications are due to open on November 16, 2026, with the first 50 recruits expected to begin the programme in May 2027. Participants will undertake 16 weeks of training in Papua New Guinea before moving into the Australian Defence Force after successfully completing the course.

A further intake of 50 people is planned for 2028, bringing the initial recruitment target to 100 over the two-year period.

Mr Marles said the pilot would be used to test the arrangements and ensure the process worked effectively before the programme was expanded.

“This is about proving the concept, making sure that we get it right from the outset, making sure that this succeeds at the beginning. But this is a pilot project where we anticipate doing this recruitment at scale,” he said.

Australia's broader objective is to develop the initiative into a larger recruitment pathway, potentially bringing thousands of Papua New Guineans into its defence force.

The programme is also expected to include recruits from different parts of PNG, reflecting the country's provincial diversity. Students at the three selected universities are among those expected to be targeted as applications open.

Under the citizenship arrangements outlined by Mr Marles, participants will be able to become Australian citizens while retaining their PNG citizenship. The arrangement is intended to reflect the close relationship between the two countries and their growing defence ties.

“They will be taking out Australian citizenship in a relatively short period of time, but they will maintain their PNG citizenship as well. They will be dual citizens, and so these recruits will literally be the embodiment of the alliance between Australia and PNG,” Mr Marles stated.

The planned intake builds on a separate opportunity announced last year for Papua New Guineans already living in Australia to enlist in the Australian Defence Force, broadening the options available under the bilateral defence partnership.