The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste lies in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago. It covers the eastern half of the island of Timor and includes the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco. Timor-Leste has a long history of colonisation, occupation and repression, first by the Portugues and then by Indonesia. Timor-Leste operates under a semi-presidential representative democratic system. The President of the Republic is the Head of State while the Prime Minister is the Head of Government and is responsible for the executive branch. Timor-Leste is one of the poorest countries in Asia. Approximately half the population live on less than $1.25 USD per day and most people rely on subsistence farming for their survival. Since 1999, Australia has played a leading role in numerous UN peace keeping and stabilisation missions in the country.
Timor-Leste maintains an active defence force of around 2,000 personnel. The military is lightly armed with vehicles and equipment mostly donated from other nations. Australia's defence support is provided through the Australian Defence Cooperation Program and the Timor-Leste Police Development Program. In 2022, Australia and Timor-Leste signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement and Australia has promised two Guardian class patrol boats to be gifted in 2024.