CANBERRA - Prince Harry will spend six months on secondment with the Australian Army as royal aides and security officials assess the risks of such a deployment, The Australian reported on Thursday.

According to the report, Australian Department of Defence, British Army and Clarence House in London are discussing where and when the deployment would occur, and whether Prince Harry would serve on the frontline.

Prince Harry, the 28-year-old Apache attack helicopter co-pilot in Afghanistan, could be formally embedded with an Australian army unit or make an extended visit as an observer under the plan.

He has already had two deployments in Afghanistan. In 2008 he served as a forward air controller as part of the NATO force in Helmand Province. He then spent 20 weeks in Afghanistan serving the Army Air Corps.