APDR News in Brief 09 September 2026

Defence Strategic Policy Research Program grants now open: The Australian government is strengthening its support to Australia’s strategic policy sector through the Defence Strategic Policy Research Program. Representing an investment of $59 million over five years, the Program provides new, emerging and existing strategic policy institutions with long-term funding to undertake national security-related research activities. In 2024, the Government commissioned the Independent Review of Commonwealth Funding for Strategic Policy Work, which recommended that Defence create an open competitive five-year funding cycle for strategic policy research priorities. This announcement delivers on this recommendation by replacing Defence’s existing grants model with one which provides much-needed certainty to the strategic policy sector through a guaranteed, long-term funding pipeline. Applicants should consider the 2026-27 Government national security research priorities, released by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet on 11 June, as well as how their research program addresses the priorities outlined in the 2026 National Defence Strategy. Applications for the program will close at 5.00PM AEST on 23 September 2026. For more information on how to apply, applicants should visit Business.gov.au or GrantConnect. U.S.-based F-35B squadron deploys to Japan: The U.S. Marine Corps deploys Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 533, also known as the “Hawks,” an F-35B Lightning II squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, under the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployment Program (UDP) on Sept. 5, 2026. VMFA-533 joins Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, and will conduct aviation operations and maintain combat readiness throughout the Indo-Pacific region. VMFA-533 will integrate as the new UDP squadron, replacing the current UDP squadron, VMFA-232. The Unit Deployment Program provides continental U.S.-based units with experience operating in the Indo-Pacific through continuous and overlapping deployments to the region. The Hawks will augment 1st Marine Aircraft Wing’s ability to provide combat-ready, task-organized aviation forces capable of operating from naval and expeditionary environments. This enhances operational readiness, promotes regional stability, and demonstrates the United States’ enduring commitment to the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]