Canberra, Australia, will have its first female Army Chief of Staff, appointing Lieutenant General Susan Coyle to the post.
Coyle, the current head of joint capabilities, is the first woman appointed to head any of the Australian military services.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the appointment of a new military chief on Monday, ahead of the government’s 2026 defense strategy and investment statement later this week. Appointments will begin in July.
Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the current Chief of Naval Staff, will succeed Admiral David Johnston as the new Chief of Defense Staff.
Hammond commanded submarines and the Australian fleet. He will serve as Commander of the Navy from 2022. As the second consecutive naval officer to serve as Commander of the Australian Defense Force, his expertise is particularly important in Australia’s handling of the AUKUS agreement.
Coyle joined the Army Reserves in 1987 and has worked at the tactical, operational and strategic levels and in command positions. These include the Afghanistan Task Force Commander and the 17th Signal Regiment Commander. She succeeds Lieutenant General Stewart as Chief of Staff of the Army.
Rear Adm. Matthew Buckley has been promoted from deputy chief of staff to chief of naval staff.
Defense Minister Richard Marlers said Coyle’s appointment was significant for women in the Australian Defense Force and for women considering future service.
Hammond appeared in court alongside Albanese and Marlers to confirm the Australian navy’s ability to respond to any US request for help in the Strait of Hormuz – even though the US had not made any request.
“We now have 10 surface combatants, eight of which are at sea today. The Navy is as ready as ever,” Hammond said.
Albanese earlier said Australia was not asked to help Trump block the strait.
“I want to see peace talks resume. We want to see an end to this conflict. It has a devastating impact on the global economy and the longer it goes on, the greater the impact and the longer the tail,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Albanese will set off on Tuesday on a fueled diplomatic trip to Brunei and Malaysia, following a similar visit to Singapore last week. Binh Duong
Binh Duong
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
