Woman picked to lead Australia army for the 1st time

A woman would lead the Australia army for the first time in history.

Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, 55, will be chief of army in July 2026, Australia prime minister Anthony Albanese said in an Apr. 13 statement.

She will replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart as part of a reshuffle of the country's defence force leadership.

Coyle, who enlisted in the military in 1987, is currently chief of joint capabilities.

"From July, we will have the first ever female chief of army in the Australian Army's 125-year history," Albanese said.

Coyle has held a number of senior command roles.

Defence Minister Richard Marles called Coyle's appointment a "deeply historic moment".

"As Susan said to me, you cannot be what you cannot see," he said.

"Susan's achievement will be deeply significant to women who are serving in the Australian Defence Force today and women who are thinking about serving in the Australian Defence Force in the future."

She will be the first woman to lead any service branch of the military, Marles said.

Allegations of discrimination & harassment in Australia military

The Australia military is boosting the number of female officers in its ranks.

It faced allegations of systematic sexual harassment and discrimination.

Women currently make up around 21 per cent of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and 18.5 per cent of senior leadership roles.

The ADF is targeting to have 25 per cent of overall participation for women by 2030.

A class action lawsuit was filed against the ADF in October 2025 alleging it failed to protect thousands of female officers from systematic sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.

Top photos via Australia Defence Force & Wikipedia