W hen a major international crisis hits, often the first Australian military units to go into action are based in WA.
The State is home to the Special Air Service Regiment, the nation's first responder in times of trouble. But as the SASR is by its nature a mostly secretive unit, private sector suppliers to the elite organisation understand the value of not broadcasting their business.
For the most part the specialist kit used by the SASR such as weapons, armour and communications equipment is sourced from the US. Unlike the regular Army, the SASR gets its choice of gear - much of which is bespoke.
Though the SASR gets some of the best weaponry and technology, the unit's base at Campbell Barracks in Swanbourne is rundown and in need of an upgrade.
The base has not kept up with the huge increase in tempo the unit has seen in recent years. In some cases old shipping containers have had to be brought in as temporary storage units. 
But that is soon to change, with the Government unveiling plans this year to spend $220 million upgrading Campbell Barracks, constructing new specialist buildings and upgrading security at the complex.
The plan is separate from a Federal push to redevelop Seaward Village - the so-called "marriage patch" for SASR families bordering the base.
The specifics of the proposed build are being kept under wraps because of security concerns but it is understood 34 buildings on the site will be demolished and new working accommodation blocks, a new high-tech operations precinct and a more secure entry screening area will be built.
Many buildings on the site date from when the regiment was established in Perth in the late 1950s and do not meet fire codes.
The other major Army facility in WA is Irwin Barracks at Karrakatta. It is the military's second largest spare parts and logistical hub and home of the 13th Brigade reservist unit.
Perhaps sensitive to the often made criticism there is not enough of an Army presence in WA, the ADF staged a massive exercise in   September called Northern Shield.
The operation saw the ADF airlift commandos and members of the Brisbane-based 6RAR to the State's north to demonstrate the military did not need a series of bases dotted around WA's coast, and could move force to the remote area at short notice.
'Unlike the regular Army, the SASR gets its choice of gear - much of which is bespoke.'