With tasks and responsibilities stemming from Australia’s commitment to the international coalition against terrorism, its ongoing security roles in East Timor and Bougainville, and its role in the interception of illegal immigrants and in the maintenance of border integrity, Defence is at its highest level of activity since the Vietnam War. Defence also has personnel involved in United Nations and other peacekeeping missions around the world: in the former Yugoslavia, the Sinai, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Middle East. This high operational tempo will continue, with the Government making a strong commitment to strengthen Australia’s defences, fight the war against terrorism and further protect Australia's borders.
Tables 4.1-4.3 detail current ADF operations which are ongoing in nature. (For further details of ADF operations, see the operations tables in Chapter 2 of the Defence Annual Report 2001-02 or the Portfolio Budget Statements 2003-03, both available at http://www.defence.gov.au/budget.)