Headquarters Joint Operations Command

The Australian Headquarters Joint Operations Command is the Australian Defence Force's operational level headquarters responsible for the command and control of ADF operations worldwide. It was formed from "Headquarters Australian Theatre" in 2004 to reflect the changing internal structure of the ADF and the need to establish a purpose built, co-located joint headquarters. Since December 2008, it has been based adjacent to the Kowen district of the Australian Capital Territory, just south of the Kings Highway, about 15 km east of Queanbeyan and 15 km south of Bungendore. The complex is known as the General John Baker Complex, named after a former Chief of Defence Force who was a strong advocate of joint command and control. Headquarters Australian TheatreHQAST was established in a temporary facility at Potts Point, New South Wales, in 1996 as the ADF's first operational level joint headquarters. Prior to that, ADF's offshore operations were commanded by the "environmental commands" of the three Services, also known as the "component commands": Maritime Headquarters (MHQ) at Garden Island, Potts Point; Land Headquarters (LHQ) at Victoria Barracks, Sydney (in Paddington); and Headquarters Air Command (HQAC) at RAAF Glenbrook west of Sydney at the foot of the Blue Mountains. When HQAST was established in 1996, it was intended to provide the ADF with a single headquarters to command the forces of all three services when deployed on operations. The three services retained the responsibility for raising, training and sustaining their forces, but they then "force assigned" their troops to Commander Australian Theatre (COMAST) for the duration of any operational deployments.

The Australian Headquarters Joint Operations Command is the Australian Defence Force's operational level headquarters responsible for the command and control of ADF operations worldwide. It was formed from "Headquarters Australian Theatre" in 2004 to reflect the changing internal structure of the ADF and the need to establish a purpose built, co-located joint headquarters. Since December 2008, it has been based adjacent to the Kowen district of the Australian Capital Territory, just south of the Kings Highway, about 15 km east of Queanbeyan and 15 km south of Bungendore. The complex is known as the General John Baker Complex, named after a former Chief of Defence Force who was a strong advocate of joint command and control. Headquarters Australian TheatreHQAST was established in a temporary facility at Potts Point, New South Wales, in 1996 as the ADF's first operational level joint headquarters. Prior to that, ADF's offshore operations were commanded by the "environmental commands" of the three Services, also known as the "component commands": Maritime Headquarters (MHQ) at Garden Island, Potts Point; Land Headquarters (LHQ) at Victoria Barracks, Sydney (in Paddington); and Headquarters Air Command (HQAC) at RAAF Glenbrook west of Sydney at the foot of the Blue Mountains. When HQAST was established in 1996, it was intended to provide the ADF with a single headquarters to command the forces of all three services when deployed on operations. The three services retained the responsibility for raising, training and sustaining their forces, but they then "force assigned" their troops to Commander Australian Theatre (COMAST) for the duration of any operational deployments.