The
Australian Government's 'Border Protection Command' (BPC) is a multi-agency command which was established in 2005 to coordinate the protection of
Australia’s offshore assets.
The Command is constituted by elements of the
Australian Customs Service and the
Australian Defence Force, and is headquartered in
Canberra.
The BPC 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 Customs and Defence aircraft and vessels. Customs response assets include
Coastwatch aircraft and
National 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 ADF elements of BPC are commanded from
Northern Command in
Darwin, Northern Territory.
References
★
Border Protection Command
★ Rear Admiral Russ Crane
Increasing our offshore maritime security