100 Headquarters of Joint Operational Command

LOCATION Australian Capital Territory, Australia

NEAREST POPULATION HUB Canberra

SECRECY OVERVIEW Operations classified: command center for the Australian Defence Force’s global operations.

Founded in 2004, the Headquarters of Joint Operational Command (HQJOC) moved to a new purpose-built home east of the Australian capital, Canberra, in 2008. With HQJOC responsible for overseeing the international operations of Australia’s Army, Navy and Air Force, it is little surprise that the organization’s headquarters is one of the most secure buildings in the country.

HQJOC is a successor organization to Headquarters Australian Theatre (HQAST), which was established in 1996 to serve as a coordinating body for Australia’s combined armed forces when they were on deployment. When HQJOC first came into being, it was based in a temporary facility in Potts Point, a suburb of Sydney.

However, after a major review in 2005, the organization underwent a significant restructure that included a move in 2007 to new temporary facilities in Kowen, close to the towns of Bungendore and Queanbeyan. By December 2008, HQJOC’s newly constructed permanent headquarters at the same location were ready to begin operations.

Constructed by Praeco Pty Ltd. at a cost of some A$360 million, the facility (officially named the General John Baker Complex) covers around 220 hectares (540 acres) and houses some 750 personnel. It is centered around a two-story, almost windowless building surrounded by concentric steel and razor-wire security fences, one at a distance of 100 meters (330 ft) and another at 500 meters (1,650 ft). A central control room boasts a huge screen known as the “knowledge wall.” Measuring almost 19 meters (62 ft) across, it allows commanders to monitor Australia’s military activities around the world.

Access to the site is via a Ministry of Defence-owned, restricted-access road. The high-security inner zone is accessible by foot only, with visitors having to pass through several checkpoints that utilize handprint and biometric controls. Vehicles used within the inner zone are kept permanently within the perimeter fence to guard against the risk of them being tampered with. The outer zone, meanwhile, contains lower-security office buildings.

The site is permanently monitored by private security contractors, using electronic surveillance measures and a system of intruder alarms. Employees within the complex require electronic key cards to move between areas. With the central nerve center open to only those with the highest security clearance, this is a truly modern military command center.

CONTROL CENTER A view of the Joint Control Centre at the General John Baker Complex, including the fabled “knowledge wall” that can simultaneously broadcast live images of Australian operations from across the globe. Baker’s widow was present at the base’s official opening in 2009.