The Parliamentary debate on Afghanistan offered no fresh insights into political stances on the conflict or ideas on how to settle it, with participants sticking closely to party lines in what was generally a worthy but pedestrian occasion.

Chief of Army Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie has welcomed over 75 senior Army leaders and key stakeholders to the Chief of Army's Exercise 2010.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has announced the establishment of a bilateral working group to develop options for enhanced US-Australian cooperation.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith have signed a Space Situational Awareness Partnership.

Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston has held the inaugural Chief of Defence Force Conference at the Australian Defence College.

For more than one hundred years Australian defence strategy has been based on so-called ‘expeditionary’ operations – that is, on wars of invasion.

Australian ministers have welcomed the US Senate’s agreement to ratify the Australia-US Defence Trade Cooperation Treaty signed originally by former prime minister John Howard and former President George W. Bush in 2007.

The launch of the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) on 1 October marked the dawn of a new era in Commonwealth security vetting – with the Department of Defence now taking responsibility for managing personnel security clearances across Government.

A Department of Defence Task Force has completed its investigation into the unauthorised release of classified military documents by WikiLeaks in July 2010.

Defence and Defence Materiel Ministers Stephen Smith and Jason Clare have released the updated and complete Projects of Concern list.

Opening the Parliamentary debate on Afghanistan, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Australia would remain involved in the country for much of this decade.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith has released a series of fact sheets concerned with Australia's involvement in Afghanistan.

The Federal Government has ruled out cutting Defence funding and is delaying making a decision on other recommended budget savings.

On 29 September (US time), a resolution ratifying the Australia-US Defence Trade Cooperation Treaty was passed by the US Senate.

The Government has launched the Australian Single Security Vetting Agency, a centralised agency for Commonwealth security checks.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare have declared potential conflicts of interest in relation to family members.