Criminals infiltrate Australian defence bases

It's been revealed that poor security at Australian defence bases is exposing them to infiltration by organised criminals, bikie groups and terrorists.

Defence sources have revealed that since at least 2008 the military has failed to act on warnings of poor base security and ignored or stalled recommendations to fix deficiencies, Fairfax newspapers say.

In late 2009, senior US Navy officials raised concerns about security at Australian naval bases, querying whether American ships could dock safely.

Briefings and reports by defence and police officials during the past three years reveal that:

* A small number of serving defence personnel belong to outlaw bikie groups.

* A company tied to an alleged crime boss was given contracts to guard sensitive naval facilities in 2006.

* Plain-clothes undercover defence officials talked their way past security posts at half a dozen bases and on one occasion used a library ID card to enter a defence facility.

* Naval personnel smuggled guns into Australia from South-East Asia in 2008 by stashing them in the storage cavity of an Armidale-class patrol boat.

A Defence Department document, obtained by Fairfax, reveals that a review of the vulnerability of defence bases, ships and other assets called for a ground-up overhaul.

- AAP