Maritime Border Command

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Maritime Border Command - Wikipedia

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(Redirected from Border Protection Command)

Maritime Border Command
Agency overview
Formed	2005
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Australia
Specialist jurisdiction	Coastal patrol, marine border protection, marine search and rescue.
Operational structure
Agency executive	Rear Admiral Brett Sonter
Parent agency	Australian Border Force
Website
www.abf.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/border-protection/maritime

The Maritime Border Command (MBC) is Australia's principal civil maritime security agency, a de facto coast guard, operating in the maritime domain to ensure compliance with Australia's maritime legislation by foreign and domestic non-state actors.^[1]^[2] It is responsible for border protection in the exclusive economic zone of Australia and its 59,700 kilometres of coastline^[3] and issues such as illegal fishing and exploitation of natural resources, maritime terrorism and piracy, biosecurity threats, and marine pollution.

It is a multi-agency command within the Department of Home Affairs comprising both Australian Border Force (ABF) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, led by a rear admiral in the Royal Australian Navy. In 2024, Brett Sonter became the Commander of MBC.^[4]

The command was established in 2005 and was originally named the Joint Offshore Protection Command. In October 2006 it was renamed to Border Protection Command and was again retitled to its current name in July 2015 to coincide with the establishment of ABF.^[5]

Structure

The MBC is a joint unit of the Australian Defence Force (the Royal Australian Navy Patrol Force and the Royal Australian Air Force Surveillance and Response Group) and the Australian Border Force (Marine Unit and Coastwatch aircraft). Its headquarters are in Canberra and is part of the Operations Group of the ABF.^[2] The ABF is part of the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Since September 2013, the MBC has supported the Operation Sovereign Borders Joint Agency Taskforce.

The ADF elements of MBC are commanded from Northern Command in Darwin, Northern Territory.

The Australian Federal Police supports the MBC and particularly the ABF with criminal investigations, law enforcement and national security matters.

Role

The MBC delivers a coordinated national approach to offshore protection by operating as a single maritime surveillance, response and interception agency.

It detects and deters a wide range of illegal activities using a combination of ABF and ADF aircraft and vessels. ABF response assets include Coastwatch aircraft and Marine Unit patrol vessels. Its activities take place under a variety of legislation covering areas such as customs, fisheries, quarantine, immigration, environment and law enforcement.

The MBC is responsible for coordinating and controlling operations to protect Australia's national interests against the following maritime security threats:

illegal exploitation of natural resources
illegal activity in protected areas
unauthorised maritime arrivals
prohibited imports/exports
maritime terrorism
piracy
compromise to bio-security
marine pollution.

Commanders

Rank	Name	Term began	Term ended
Commander Joint Offshore Protection Command
Rear Admiral	Russ Crane CSM	March 2005	May 2006
Rear Admiral	James Goldrick AM, CSC	May 2006	October 2006
Commander Border Protection Command
Rear Admiral	James Goldrick AM, CSC	October 2006	May 2008
Rear Admiral	Allan du Toit AM	May 2008	February 2010
Rear Admiral	Tim Barrett AM, CSC	February 2010	December 2011
Rear Admiral	David Johnston AM	December 2011	December 2013
Rear Admiral	Michael Noonan AM	December 2013	14 January 2016
Commander Maritime Border Command
Rear Admiral	Peter Laver AM	14 January 2016	January 2019
Rear Admiral	Lee Goddard CSC	28 January 2019	December 2020
Rear Admiral	Mark Hill AM, CSC	December 2020	4 February 2022
Rear Admiral	Justin Jones CSC	4 February 2022	10 January 2024
Rear Admiral	Brett Sonter	10 January 2024

References

^ "Maritime Border Command – Australian Border Force". Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Department of Immigration and Border Protection – Annual Report 2015–16" (PDF). Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
^ "Border Lengths - States and Territories". Geoscience Australia. Australian Government. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
^ Rear Admiral Lee Goddard
^ "Maritime Border Command's History – Australian Border Force". Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Retrieved 7 December 2016.

External links

Border Protection Command
Rear Admiral Russ Crane Increasing our offshore maritime security

Royal Australian Navy

Australian Defence Force

Command

Organisation

Fleet Command	Surface Force Fleet Air Arm (723 Squadron, 725 Squadron, 808 Squadron, 816 Squadron) Submarine Service Patrol Boat Forces Mine Warfare Forces Clearance Diving Branch Australian Hydrographic Service (Laser Airborne Depth Sounder Flight)
Navy Headquarters	Navy Engineering, Regulation, Certification and Safety Navy Capability Navy People Training and Resources Royal Australian Naval College

Ships and
equipment

Installations

Personnel

Current
operations

Operation Sovereign Borders
Operation Resolute
Operation Highroad
Operation Manitou

History

Other

Royal Australian Navy Memorial
Minister for the Navy
Australian Naval Aviation
Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
Australian White Ensign
Navy News
Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam
Naval Stores, Kangaroo Point
Esther Williams Trophy
Navy League of Australia
Admiral
Garden Island Naval Chapel
Royal Australian Navy Tridents Rugby League Team

Former
entities

v t e Coast guards
Africa	Djibouti Egypt Kenya Libya Liberia Nigeria Seychelles Somaliland
Asia	Azerbaijan Bangladesh China Coast Guard MSA ~~Marine Surveillance~~ India Indonesia Bakamla Sea and Coast Guard PSDKP Japan Malaysia Maldives Myanmar Pakistan Coast Guards Maritime Security Agency Philippines Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Taiwan United Arab Emirates Vietnam Coast Guard Fisheries Surveillance Yemen
Europe	European Union Albania Belgium Croatia Cyprus Finland France Maritime Gendarmerie Maritimes Affairs Customs Coast Guard Georgia Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Italy Coast Guard Carabineers Financial Guard Netherlands Caribbean Norway Portugal Romania Russia Coast Guard National Guard Spain Customs Surveillance Service Civil Guard Sweden Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Coast Guard Border Force Isle of Man Jersey
North America	Antigua and Barbuda Barbados Belize Bermuda Canada Cayman Islands Costa Rica Haiti Jamaica Mexico Panama Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States of America Coast Guard Auxiliary CBP
Oceania	Australia Maritime Border Command AMSA New Zealand
South America	Argentina Ecuador Colombia Guyana Peru Suriname Venezuela
Border guard Coast guard Customs Law enforcement agency Types Intelligence agency