Australian defence force fails to meet recruitment targets but numbers improving

Fewer than 10% of applicants hired, with some dropping out and many not meeting ADF standards

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The Australian defence force has failed to meet its latest recruitment targets despite recording the highest recruitment and retention levels in more than a decade.

The ADF enlisted 7,059 full-time personnel in the 2024-25 financial year, the highest annual intake in 15 years, but still fell more than 1,000 short of its target for that year.