Navy chief Mark Hammond full steam ahead in bid to lead Australian Defence Force

Chief of Navy Mark Hammond is the frontrunner to replace Angus Campbell as the nation’s next Defence chief.

Vice Admiral Mark Hammond with Anthony Albanese in San Diego in March last year. Picture: Sandy Huffaker

Chief of Navy Mark Hammond is the frontrunner to replace Angus Campbell as the nation’s next Defence chief, as Anthony Albanese prepares to stamp his authority on the force’s biggest transformation since World War II.

The former submarine commander, who is close to the Prime Minister, would be the first naval officer in 22 years to hold the post if he is selected to succeed General Campbell, whose term ­expires at the end of June.

But Vice Admiral Hammond faces tough competition from the army’s Lieutenant-General Greg Bilton, who has served as the ADF’s current Chief of Joint ­Operations for the past five years.

Admiral Hammond is an ­astute political player who shares Mr Albanese’s love of the South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL team, and was tapped to join the Prime Minister in the US for last year’s AUKUS announcement.

With the $368bn nuclear submarine program and the rebuilding of the navy’s surface fleet now Defence’s top priorities, many ­insiders believe the time is right for a naval commander to take the top job.

But Admiral Hammond, who was appointed Chief of Navy less than two years ago, is a relative newcomer to the ADF’s most senior ranks, prompting speculation he might first have to serve as Vice Chief of the Defence Force.

Chief of Navy Mark Hammond, right, with Defence Minister Richard Marles. Picture: AFP

The current Vice-Chief of the Defence Force, David Johnston, is another potential candidate for the job. But Vice Admiral Johnston, who is in his early 60s, is said to have been worn down by six years in the deputy role, which will also need to be filled.

The VCDF is also closely linked to General Campbell’s polarising reign as Defence chief, and his chances of promotion were diminished when Labor opted in 2022 to extend both men's terms by two years.

The government will use the appointments of a new CDF and VCDF to break with the past and re-energise Defence as it embarks on a two-decade process of reinvestment and reform.

Lieutenant General Greg Bilton. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

“There is a feeling in the veterans’ community that his end cannot come soon enough,” the former commander said.

Another said General Campbell had failed to meet any of the “basic metrics of performance” over his term, citing the ADF’s recruiting crisis and its ongoing capability woes that forced the government to impose an outside-led strategic overhaul of the force.

Rather than promoting “woke” causes such as “rainbow morning teas”, General Campbell should have focused on the rejuvenation of the force, the former commander said.

“He should have been the political whisperer on military policy, but everything he has touched has turned to shit. Every metric has gone backwards,” the source said.

While Defence Minister Richard Marles has expressed frustration at his department’s plodding culture, the government is unlikely to embark on a wider overhaul of Defence’s leadership.

Labor extended Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty’s term in 2022 by another five years.

Admiral Hammond has known Mr Albanese for years, and frequently sees him at South Sydney games. The pair displayed their shared love of the club in San Diego last year, wearing matching Rabbitohs caps on a morning walk ahead of the AUKUS partners’ “optimal pathway” announcement.

The fact that Admiral Hammond accompanied Mr Albanese on the trip rather than the government’s submarine program director, Admiral Jonathan Mead, was “a pretty good indication that people like him”, a source said.

The navy chief also has strong connections on the conservative side of politics, and is close to former defence minister Brendan Nelson.

Mr Nelson told The Australian when Admiral Hammond was appointed navy chief that he was “clear-minded, intensely ethical”, and had great respect for others.