13th Brigade

13th Brigade The 13th Brigade is a full-time/Reserve Brigade of the Australian Army based in Western Australia.

13th Brigade is an agile, responsive and capable Army Reserve formation headquartered at Irwin Barracks, Karrakatta, a suburb of Perth in Western Australia. 13th Brigade currently consists of the following units:

- Headquarters 13th Brigade
- 10th Light Horse Regiment
- 13th Engineer Regiment
- 11/28th Battalion, the Royal Western Australia Regiment
- 16th Battalion, the Royal Western Australia

Regiment
- 13th Combat Service Support Battalion
- 109th Signal Squadron

The following units now come under separate command arrangements but support 13th Brigade:

- Western Australian University Regiment
- 3 Battery, 9th Regiment, Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery

The 13th Brigade was originally raised in Egypt in 1916 as part of the 4th Division of the AIF (Australian Imperial Force). It saw extensive service during the First World War on the Western Front in France and Belgium. It was raised again as part of the Citizen's Force in 1921 in Perth, Western Australia, and was mobilised at the commencement of the Second World War in 1939. It operated in defence of Western Australia and the Northern territory before deploying overseas to take part in the New Britain campaign. The brigade reformed after the war in 1948 as part of the Citizen's Military Forces. It was disbanded during a divisional reorganisation in the 1960s but reformed again in 1988 under its current structure as a reserve brigade of the 2nd Division. Today’s 13th Brigade provides soldiers and task groups that are mission-ready to deploy on domestic security and regional stabilisation operations. It also provides deployable force elements to reinforce the Townsville based 3rd Brigade during periods of high readiness. The brigade is recognised for its reliable and valuable contribution to Australia's security and has a proven track-record delivering important combat capability to the Army. In recent years, 13th Brigade soldiers have deployed on operations to Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and the Solomon Islands, as well as other domestic security operations and Defence Aid to Civil Community tasks.

If you're heading for Garden Island, chances are we've already seen you 👀Soldiers from 16 RWAR & 10LHR keep watch during...
09/07/2026

If you're heading for Garden Island, chances are we've already seen you 👀

Soldiers from 16 RWAR & 10LHR keep watch during Exercise Austral Shield

08/07/2026

Same exercise. New dawn 🤖

Exercise Western Dawn is back for another year in 2026, once again bringing together some of the brightest minds from Defence, industry and academia for two weeks of next-generation problem solving.

Joining forces with Edith Cowan University (ECU), Exercise Western Dawn turns ideas into capability and concepts into tested systems.

For the first time in 2026, highly skilled teams will design, prototype and test their own unique robotics system to help solve problems within a designated scenario to demonstrate how Defence, academia and industry can come together as part of Team Australia 🇦🇺

Interested? Eligible participants can submit an EOI through the link in the comments 👇

Expressions of interest close 5PM AWST Wednesday 12 August 2026

06/07/2026

We love a good sized burst 😍

11/28 and 10LHR soldiers putting some rounds down range on Exercise Dernancourt.

DEFENCE***COMMUNITY NOTICE***AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE TRAINING IN THE PERTH REGIONAustralian Defence Force (ADF) personn...
03/07/2026

DEFENCE

***COMMUNITY NOTICE***

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE TRAINING IN THE PERTH REGION

Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel will conduct military training in and around the Perth region including HMAS Stirling, Rockingham, Kwinana and Henderson, during the month of July as part of Exercise Austral Shield 2026.

DATE: 3 -19 July 2026

TIME: Exercise Austral Shield 2026 will be conducted during the day and night.

During this period, you may see a greater presence of ADF personnel in these areas including personnel carrying blank loaded weapons, and conducting simulated reconnaissance and critical asset protection activities. You may also hear and see military vehicles, watercraft, aircraft, and small drones throughout the duration of the exercise.

You should not be alarmed if you hear or see any of the above.

The Australian Defence Force is working closely with the Western Australian Government; City of Rockingham, City of Cockburn, Western Australia Police and state emergency services as part of this military training activity.

This essential training is vital to maintain Australia’s military capability.

Whilst every opportunity to reduce disruption to the local community will be taken, training activities are subject to change due to variables such as weather, and other considerations.

Defence thanks the public for their patience and cooperation whilst this essential training is undertaken.

Imagery

Imagery of personnel and assets participating in Exercise Austral Shield 2026 will be available at: http://images.defence.gov.au/S20261344.

Imagery of Exercise Austral Shield 2024 can be found at: Defence Imagery: Austral Shield 2024

Contact

If you have any questions about an activity associated with Exercise Austral Shield 2026, please contact the Department of Defence on 1800 233 393 or by calling 1300 DEFENCE (1300 333 362).

26/06/2026

Practice makes perfect ✅

Perfect takes practice 💪

16 RWAR getting the reps in ahead of Austral Shield 26 💪🏼 Stay tuned for more coverage when the exercise kicks off next ...
24/06/2026

16 RWAR getting the reps in ahead of Austral Shield 26 💪🏼

Stay tuned for more coverage when the exercise kicks off next week!

📷 CPL Saar Hayon

We. Are. So. READY 🇦🇺🛡️🫡
23/06/2026

We. Are. So. READY 🇦🇺🛡️🫡

We don’t pack light, we pack right 💪
22/06/2026

We don’t pack light, we pack right 💪

Address

Irwin Barracks, Stubbs Terrace
Perth, WA
6010

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