Deputy Chief of Army Angus Campbell will be named Tony Abbott's three-star military commander of border protection, with the job of co-ordinating the new government's tough asylum-seeker policies.

The former SAS commander and deputy National Security Adviser has emerged as Defence's choice to head up the 16 departments and agencies under the Coalition's Operation Sovereign Borders policy, which effectively militarises border protection.

Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott meets with Defence chiefs, including Major-General Angus Campbell (left), at Parliament House on September 11. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Major-General Campbell's task will include finding a way to meet Mr Abbott's controversial pledge to turn back asylum-seeker boats where it is safe to do so. He will answer directly to Immigration Minister Scott Morrison.

Mr Abbott branded border protection a "national emergency" that needed to be tackled with the clout of a senior military commander when he unveiled Operation Sovereign Borders in late July.