Feature Insights

Assessing AIC commitments under the Hunter Class program

June 22 2021

There have been numerous articles circulating around the Attack Class Submarine Project and Naval Group, and whilst it is proper to apply appropriate ...

A Spratly-sized glimpse into China’s expansionary ambitions

The Spratly Islands archipelago may appear to be tiny specks on the world map, but it arguably contains one of the most contested parcels of...

June 21 2021

Should a values-based Indo-Pacific order make way for pragmatism?

Australia and its allies should avoid countering Beijing’s influence in the Indo-Pacific by emphasising co-ordinated action among liberal democracies, according to...

June 18 2021

Hit the biggest guy first: Vulnerability of vehicles in a modern battlezone

Modern warfare and tactics are regularly evolving, and asymmetric warfare is becoming a core discipline. Though this evolution raises the question of whether we are keeping...

June 17 2021

‘Big Hands’ announcements disengage SMEs

In the military, they have a saying: ‘Big hands, small map’. This essentially means you have completely skimmed over the details in your plan and are hoping for the best....

June 16 2021

Does US Navy spending match its ambition?

US President Joe Biden’s recent defence budget request falls short of advancing the US Navy’s growth ambitions, according to one intelligence officer.

June 15 2021

What if Australia loses the next war?

With a small population and no national security strategy, what happens if Australia loses the next war? It’s time to put an insurgency back on the cards, because...

June 14 2021

Pakistan’s intelligence service and the Taliban

It’s well known that the Pakistani intelligence services and the Taliban have a long-term relationship, but what does a post-US Afghanistan look like for Pakistan?

June 10 2021

Will the G7 stand up for democracy?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to address the G7 in Cornwall, urging leaders to support a “rules-based order” amid the growing threat of Chinese economic...

June 09 2021

Going Apache – A step in the right direction

The Commonwealth government has been praised for its decision to replace its fleet of Airbus-built Eurocopter Tigers with 29 Boeing-built Apaches, but is the Australian Army...

June 03 2021

Op-Ed: Australian roadmap for nuclear submarine acquisition

France recently announced it had reached agreement with India to develop six nuclear attack submarines (SSN) for the Indian Navy.

June 02 2021

Op-Ed: Avoiding previous mistakes in counter-terrorism – Why hard power is not a solution to the Salafi-jihadi crisis in sub-Saharan Africa

Counter-terrorism expert Isaac Kfir analyses the current Salafist insurgency in sub-Saharan Africa, and the counterinsurgency methods to combat this ongoing threat.

June 01 2021

Op-Ed: AI warfare – Faster, un-emotional and needing microprocessors

War is a fact of life for humankind. We have been constantly killing each other in increasingly deadly and larger scale ways for most of our history, with the last 60 years...

May 31 2021

Are the CCP’s coercion tactics backfiring?

Have Beijing’s bullying tactics weakened Australia’s resistance to CCP policy or strengthened Canberra’s determination to reduce dependency?

May 28 2021

Hostage diplomacy and civil crackdowns on the rise

With the recent arrest of Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich, the defiance of totalitarian regimes in the face of international condemnation are on the rise.

May 27 2021

Should Australia explore alternatives to an F-35 top-up?

Has the ongoing debate over the future of the US Air Force’s F-35 fleet opened an opportunity for Australia to explore alternatives for the RAAF?

May 26 2021

The B-21 bomber, Australia’s next deterrent

With the B-21’s long range capabilities, and the advancement of unmanned long range Chinese strike technology, should Australia buy the B-21 as a deterrent?

May 25 2021

The resurgent fears behind the UK's nuclear policy pivot

Analysts weigh in on the British government’s recent decision to amend its nuclear proliferation policy.

May 24 2021

Did Wong’s China comments land a blow?

Senator Penny Wong attacked the Morrison government over its handling of the China crisis at a recent book launch, but did her comments manage to land a blow?

May 21 2021