Australian Defence Force Investigative Service

The Australian Defence Force Investigative Service (ADFIS) is the unified investigative arm of the Australian Defence Force's Joint Military Police Unit. Initially formed in 2007 as a part of the service police, it was amalgamated into the Joint Military Police Force at the beginning of 2020. ADFIS is responsible for complex and major disciplinary and criminal investigations involving the Australian Defence Force (ADF), its assets, land, personnel and capabilities.

ADFIS is a tri-service unit composed of specialised service police personnel who are qualified to undertake investigations of serious and unique nature. As the successor to the previously active single-service police investigation units which it absorbed, it is staffed by military police officers from the Royal Australian Navy's Naval Police, Australian Army's Military Police and the Royal Australian Air Force's Air Force Police.

Prior to the formation of ADFIS, each of the three service's police entities in the Australian Defence Force were responsible for maintaining their own general duties and investigative law enforcement functions. While each service would maintain its general duties personnel manning requirements separate to investigators, the investigations arm within each of the single-service police organisations were:

From as early as 1998, multiple inquiries have been conducted into the Australian military justice system, the ADF's investigative capability, and the ability of ADF service police as a whole to perform their role effectively. On 16 June 2005 the Senate's Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee released a report titled 'The Effectiveness of Australia's Military Justice System'. This report would go on to make a number of recommendations which would, in turn, spark the ADF to commence its own internal audit on its investigative capability.

In July 2006, the ADF released the report 'Report on an Audit of the Australian Defence Force Investigative Capability'. Both this report and the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee's report identified and addressed institutionalised and widespread issues amongst the service police organisations, including under-staffing, inadequate training, lack of resources, lack of engagement with civilian police agencies and other entities in the military justice system, poor direction and leadership, just to name a few.

Both reports identified the need for a tri-service ADF investigative capability in order to consolidate personnel, effort and resources into one location. In light of these recommendations, the position of the Provost Marshal - ADF (PM-ADF) was formed under ADF HQ and outside of the single-service chains of command. On 16 May 2007, a new organisation under the name of the Australian Defence Force Investigative Service would be formed with the PM-ADF as its commander.

The formation of ADFIS saw the end to single-service dedicated investigative capabilities in the ADF, hence the Naval Investigative Service and Army SIB ceased to exist. The then RAAF Security Police would have its investigative elements transitioned to ADFIS, while continuing to provide uniformed organic security and general policing services to the Air Force, under Air Force command. The Naval Police and Military Police would continue to provide uniformed general policing and law enforcement to the Navy and Army respectively, also under their single-service commands.

By doctrine, the role of ADFIS was to assist the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and service chiefs in maintaining discipline in the ADF through the lawful, ethical and effective investigation of matters involving persons subject to the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982.