The bilateral defense relationship includes regular Australian Defense Force ship visits to Vietnamese ports; training of Vietnamese military officers in Australia under the bilateral Defense Cooperation Program; and visits between Australian and Vietnamese Chiefs of Defense Force. Australia and Viet Nam signed a bilateral MOU on Defence Cooperation at the inaugural ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus held in Ha Noi (2010). During his visit to Viet Nam in August 2012, former Australian Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith and Vietnamese Minister of National Defense, General Phung Quang Thanh, agreed Vietnam and Australia should take further practical steps to enhance the defence relationship and to progress a range of bilateral defence initiatives, including the establishment of an Annual Defence Ministers' Dialogue. The Inaugural Australia-Vietnam Defence Ministers' Meeting was held in Canberra on 19 March 2013.
The Australian Federal Police maintains two Law Enforcement Liaison Offices in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Australia and Viet Nam have also held senior officials-level bilateral dialogues on regional security and other issues since 1998, upgraded in February 2012, when the inaugural Joint Foreign Affairs/Defence (2+2) Australia-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue was held in Canberra at Deputy-Secretary/Vice-Minister level. The second meeting was held in Hanoi in November 2013. Australia and Vietnam also conduct annual Australia-Vietnam Defence Cooperation Senior Officials' talks.