The Abbott government admitted that Australian boats, under Operation Sovereign Borders, had entered Indonesian waters back in January, but did not specify how many times this occurred.

The review analysed all patrols conducted between December 1 and January 20 as well as the orders and planning around the incursions.

It found that had "headquarters staff implemented appropriate control measures, informed by authoritative information on Indonesian maritime boundaries, the normal post activity reporting and checks would have detected the incursions as they occurred".

The review found that the incursions were first identified by an "ad hoc intervention by planning staff".

The review also found that "the imperative to remain outside Indonesian waters did not receive adequate attention during mission execution or oversight".