The man who led Operation Sovereign Borders has been confirmed as Australia's next Chief of Army, but has been prevented from speaking to journalists at a press conference about his appointment.

Lieutenant General Angus Campbell will take the job in May, while Air Vice-Marshal Gavin Davies will become Chief of the Air Force in July.

At a media conference in Canberra on Thursday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the government would announce changes to its border protection operations next week.

Mr Abbott would not say whether General Campbell, a former SAS commander and deputy army chief who has coordinated the government's tough policy of stopping asylum seeker boats, would be replaced by another military official or someone from a civilian field.