Further disciplinary action could be taken after four sailors on the navy supply ship HMAS Success were sent home for allegedly staging a contest to see how many female sailors they could bed during an extended sea voyage.
Navy chief Vice Admiral Russ Crane said the allegations emerged in a navy "equity and diversity health check program" initiated by the commanding officer of the Success, Commander Simon Brown, when the ship was berthed in Singapore in May.
"Once these allegations were made known, Navy acted immediately by removing those sailors allegedly involved in the matter from the ship and referring the matter to the independent Australian Defence Force Investigative Service (ADFIS) for action," he said in a statement.
"Navy is awaiting the results of the ADFIS investigation and will act as quickly as possible to address appropriate findings and recommendations, particularly should disciplinary or administrative action be warranted."
The allegations, reported on the Seven Network, have prompted strong condemnation.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said defence needed to conduct a complete investigation and take action against the perpetrators, lest women be deterred from seeking a defence career.
"We don't want to see anything that precludes women from having a good career in our armed forces if that is what they choose to do with their lives. Clearly these allegations need to be fully investigated," she said.
Defence personnel Minister Greg Combet said it was important that investigation be conducted fully and properly.
"Behaviour of the alleged type should not be and will not be tolerated by the ADF or the government," he said.
Feminist commentator Melinda Tankard-Reist said women had a right to feel safe in their place of work and not be treated as a notch on some sailor's belt.
She said there should be no place in the navy for those found responsible.
"We would have liked to have thought that this pack animal type mob behaviour in the defence forces was over. Obviously it is not," she told Sky News.
The navy has experienced a series of scandals involving misconduct by sailors, although fewer in recent years as defence has implemented tough zero tolerance policies aimed at achieving a harassment-free workplace.
That followed a high profile inquiry into sexual misconduct aboard the destroyer HMAS Swan in 1992 that highlighted problems faced by the services, particularly the navy, in integrating larger numbers of women.
Past misconduct has included incidents of drunken and offensive misconduct both at home and abroad, as well as sexual assaults.
The Seven report said the sailors allegedly plotted a challenge to have sex with as many female crewmates as possible.
They allegedly detailed their plot in a document called The Ledger, assigning dollar values for each conquest, with larger sums on offer for sleeping with a female officer or a lesbian. The sailors also challenged each other to have sex in various locations, including on top of a pool table.
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