Three Chinese warships that were involved in live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea last week have re-entered Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone and are currently in the vicinity of Tasmania.
The Defence Department has confirmed it is working with New Zealand's military to jointly track the three warships which are operating about 300km east of Hobart.
The news comes as officials in Canberra faced questions over why it was a Virgin pilot that had been the first to alert authorities about Beijing's live-fire exercises on Friday, which had forced airlines to divert flights.