Australian Defence Force Accelerates Space Capability with New Specialist Training Centre and Workforce Expansion
Canberra unveils purpose-built space operations facility and recruits dedicated space specialists as strategic demands grow
The Australian Defence Force has taken a significant step in bolstering its presence in the rapidly evolving space domain by unveiling a new specialist training centre and expanding its space workforce.
Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh announced that the ADF is directly recruiting for two new space roles — Space Operations Officer and Space Operations Specialist — to strengthen capabilities critical to future missions and national security.
These positions reflect a broader shift within Defence to recognise space as a core operational domain alongside air, land, sea and cyber, essential for tasks including satellite communications, surveillance, navigation and environmental monitoring.
The recruits selected for these roles will undertake specialist training at the newly established Florence McKenzie Building at the Defence Space and Cyber School at HMAS Harman in Canberra.
Named after Australia’s first female electrical engineer and pioneer of modern signalling technology, the facility is designed to equip personnel with the skills and technical expertise required in space operations.
The expansion builds on plans set out in the 2024 Defence Workforce Plan, which for the first time emphasised creating a purpose-built space workforce to meet evolving strategic challenges and maintain operational advantage.
Defence’s current space workforce, drawn from across the Navy, Army and Air Force, will be supplemented by these specialist roles with direct entry from 2026, marking a new era of targeted recruitment and career development in space.
Australia’s dedicated Space Command, operating within the Joint Capabilities Group, has been working to integrate space capabilities into Defence operations, including real-time support for exercises such as Talisman Sabre.
The new training centre and roles are intended to accelerate the growth of a sovereign space workforce capable of supporting mission sets from space domain awareness and missile warning to satellite control and intelligence.
Defence officials describe the initiative as a strategic investment in people and technology, ensuring that the ADF remains agile and prepared amid increasing global competition in space.
The emphasis on training, recruitment and infrastructure is part of a broader national effort to enhance space capabilities and contribute to allied operations and shared regional security objectives.
Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh announced that the ADF is directly recruiting for two new space roles — Space Operations Officer and Space Operations Specialist — to strengthen capabilities critical to future missions and national security.
These positions reflect a broader shift within Defence to recognise space as a core operational domain alongside air, land, sea and cyber, essential for tasks including satellite communications, surveillance, navigation and environmental monitoring.
The recruits selected for these roles will undertake specialist training at the newly established Florence McKenzie Building at the Defence Space and Cyber School at HMAS Harman in Canberra.
Named after Australia’s first female electrical engineer and pioneer of modern signalling technology, the facility is designed to equip personnel with the skills and technical expertise required in space operations.
The expansion builds on plans set out in the 2024 Defence Workforce Plan, which for the first time emphasised creating a purpose-built space workforce to meet evolving strategic challenges and maintain operational advantage.
Defence’s current space workforce, drawn from across the Navy, Army and Air Force, will be supplemented by these specialist roles with direct entry from 2026, marking a new era of targeted recruitment and career development in space.
Australia’s dedicated Space Command, operating within the Joint Capabilities Group, has been working to integrate space capabilities into Defence operations, including real-time support for exercises such as Talisman Sabre.
The new training centre and roles are intended to accelerate the growth of a sovereign space workforce capable of supporting mission sets from space domain awareness and missile warning to satellite control and intelligence.
Defence officials describe the initiative as a strategic investment in people and technology, ensuring that the ADF remains agile and prepared amid increasing global competition in space.
The emphasis on training, recruitment and infrastructure is part of a broader national effort to enhance space capabilities and contribute to allied operations and shared regional security objectives.
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