THEY may look cute and cuddly but the Federal Government suspects the humble teddy bear may be a threat to national security.

The Australian Defence Force has ordered 24,000 "army bears" (similar to the one above) over the next two years for children of Defence Force personnel.

However, the contract for the plush toys is far from a teddy bears picnic, with the winning bid facing high-level security clearances.

The contract advises: "Tenderers must deliver sample bears, one per service (Army, Navy, Air Force) for examination and qualitative evaluation."

Queensland Senator Barnaby Joyce has warned the bears could be bugged by countries trying to learn state secrets.

Senator Joyce said even though the bears seemed harmless, he understood the need for strict security, especially if they were made in China or another country.

"You want to be careful with what you would give to our Defence Force personnel," Senator Joyce said.

He said there was a need to ensure the bears were not "bugged" or toxic to children.

While a Defence Force spokeswoman refused to reveal the cost of the tender, it is likely to be many thousands of dollars. She said the teddy bears did not have to be made in Australia. Twelve thousand will be required each year over two years.

"Cost will be determined by the tender process. In line with the Australian Government's procurement guidelines, a decision based on value for money will be made," she said.

"This program is a way of assisting the children to remain connected to their military parent during long absences (and) the distribution of bears increases the morale of serving members and provides a level of comfort to spouses and children."

The spokeswoman said bears would be handed out at pre-deployment briefings and functions. They will also be mailed to families.

Senator Joyce said Australia should not be "importing" products linked to the Australian Defence Force and questioned why it was not a requirement for the teddy bears to be made at home.

Originally published as Tiny teddies in national security risk