Beyond the Pukpuk Treaty, Australia’s Strategic Footprint in PNG Grows

Australia will station a 130-strong ADF combat group in Papua New Guinea on rolling three-month rotations, fund $77 million in PNG Defence Force infrastructure, and open ADF recruitment to Papua New Guinean citizens from November 16 ahead of a 2027 pilot intake. This converts the Pukpuk Treaty from a signed alliance into a persistent Australian military presence on the approaches to Australia's north, with the recruitment pathway creating personnel ties that are harder for a future PNG government to unwind. It also raises the cost and complexity of any Chinese attempt to secure security access in PNG, while modestly easing ADF recruitment shortfalls.