Australia opens its military to recruits from Papua New Guinea under their new defence treaty

Australia will start accepting applications from Papua New Guinea citizens living in their own country to join the Australian Defence Force from 16 November, the two governments announced on Tuesday 20 October. The decision was made public after a meeting of Australian and Papua New Guinean ministers in Port Moresby, the first round of ministerial talks since the two countries signed their mutual defence treaty, known as the Pukpuk Treaty, in October 2025.

The treaty entered into force in July and raised the relationship to a formal alliance. Under it, each country is obliged to defend the other if it comes under armed attack, and each may recruit the other's citizens into its armed forces. Tuesday's step extends that recruitment, for the first time, to Papua New Guinea citizens who live in their own country.

The scheme will begin as a pilot. ABC News reported that the trial will cost the Australian government about A$65 million and aims to bring in 100 young Papua New Guineans over two years, while AAP said it would run as two intakes of up to 50 people each. Both outlets said the first recruits are expected to join the ADF from late 2027, and AAP reported that they will be able to serve in the army, navy or air force.

Eligibility at the start is narrow. Applicants must be aged 18 to 25 and be students or recent graduates of two universities, the University of Papua New Guinea and Pacific Adventist University, with recruiting focused on Port Moresby and Lae, according to the ABC and AAP. Anyone who has served in Papua New Guinea's military, police force or other government security bodies is excluded. Candidates will be assessed against the same entry standards as Australian applicants, covering aptitude, education, health and fitness, and will face the same security checks.

Citizenship remains a condition of continued service. The ministers' release said successful recruits must apply for Australian citizenship once they become eligible, and the ABC reported that they will first enlist on temporary visas. The ADF already widened entry earlier this year to Papua New Guinea citizens who hold Australian permanent residency, and about 40 such applications are being processed, according to the ABC and AAP.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, who was in Port Moresby for the talks, described the move as a major moment for both the ADF and Papua New Guinea. He pointed to the participation of two Papua New Guinea Defence Force aircraft and more than 20 personnel in this year's Exercise Pitch Black as evidence of the growing interoperability that made the recruitment possible. Marles said the pilot would start with small numbers so the processes could be tested before any wider expansion.

Papua New Guinea's defence minister, Elias Kapavore, called the step a historic occasion for the alliance and urged eligible citizens to consider applying. The joint release presented the programme as a sign that the security of the two neighbours is closely connected, and tied it to a shared aim of a peaceful Indo-Pacific in which sovereignty is respected.

The pilot also touches a long-running problem for Australia's military. The ABC noted that recruitment shortfalls have been a major concern for the ADF, although numbers have improved in recent years, and that the trial could eventually lead to much larger intakes from overseas. A University of Papua New Guinea student told the broadcaster she expected strong interest once applications opened, with greater financial stability and better living standards in Australia a major draw.