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Words: Charles MirandaPhotography: Dylan RobinsonProducer: Anthony Lucas
Inside the secret unit guarding Australia's top end 
Journalist, NewsCorp
Charles Miranda
The unique reconnaissance and surveillance unit, Norforce, short for the North-West Mobile Force, is one of the most critical intelligence gathering squads in the Australian Defence Force. 
News Corp Australia was given an exclusive look into the operations of the force to record why they are so revered in Australia’s north and so critical to our national defences.
Patrolling the largest patch of any military unit in the world, Norforce is the first line of detection from the remote north and is mostly made up of First Nation soldiers.
The force’s indigenous element are deeply rooted in the country and the remote communities. It is this connection that provides the backbone of Norforce’s intelligence gathering.
Norforce commanding officer 
Lt Colonel Steve Medlin
From illegal fishing to drug and people smuggling, Norforce's work informs leadership about "anything of interest to them" to make decisions for the defence of Australia, Lt Colonel Medlin said.
This interest, according to the Federal Government, includes China's military spy warships trawling for intelligence along Australia’s coastline.
The motto for Norforce is ‘always on’ and ‘ever vigilant’. The work they do feeds into the national security cordon that increasingly is having to be flexed like never before.
Swipe up to read more about the work of Norforce

Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/web-stories/free/nt-news/the-secret-unit-guarding-australias-top-end-2