Australia's defence sites have been found to be vulnerable to drone incursions and unauthorized access due to the limited authority of private security guards.
What happened
According to testimony from Lee-Anne Monterosso, the First Assistant Secretary for Service Delivery for the Defence Department, private guards at defence sites are unarmed and can only search individuals who agree to it. They also lack the power to deal with drones flying overhead.
The guards, supplied by contractors including Wilson Security, can detect and report drones but do not have the authority to bring them down. This power is reserved for law enforcement, with the responsibility sitting with the vice chief of the Defence Force.
A Senate committee was also informed of an alleged unlawful entry to RAAF Base Darwin on September 15, which is still being investigated. Additionally, the US has been testing the security of Australian defence bases, with the Defence Department aware of and involved in these tests.
Questions were also raised about the potential for foreign companies to purchase defence assets, with Acting Deputy Secretary for Security Peter West stating that any foreign bids would be subject to the foreign investment review process.
