Australia in March 2026: the most important developments in security
Australian security news in March 2026 included the end of a manhunt on 30 March, when a fugitive accused of killing police officers was shot dead. Earlier in the month, on 3 March, a Perth man was charged with plotting a terrorist attack, with police alleging he was preparing a violent act. A Queensland man faced charges over alleged plans to travel to fight in Myanmar's civil war, and a 25-year-old Indigenous man died in police custody in the Northern Territory.
The war involving Iran also reached Australian forces and policy. On 3 March Iran launched drone strikes on two targets near Dubai, hitting a US Army building and an Australian air base, and the United Arab Emirates warned of a response. On 8 March the government said it was considering military aid to the Middle East but had ruled out deploying troops. On 10 March it announced it would send a long-range surveillance aircraft and air-to-air missiles to the Gulf to support the defence of partner nations, saying the measures were for protection and not aggression. On 18 March Australian officials confirmed that an Iranian projectile hit a base in the UAE and damaged Australian facilities; all Australian personnel there were reported safe. Australia also announced a ban on visitors from Iran, described on 26 March as lasting six months, citing the war in the region.
Elsewhere, AUKUS partners tested Australian electronic warfare systems during the Maritime Big Play exercise.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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