Analysis

A less needy, more capable Australia – recognising the new American reality for allies
Opinion: Australia’s defence strategy must urgently reduce reliance on the United States and prioritise sovereign defence industry, as America...
March 09 2026
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Iran v the world: The age of cyber kinetic warfare is well and truly here
As the missiles fly in both directions in the Middle East, it’s important not to overlook the cyber battlefield.
March 06 2026
Energy-minerals-defence: Australia’s sovereign trinity
Opinion: Australia must shift its sovereignty focus from labelling industries to strengthening interconnected systems like energy security, critical minerals access, and...
March 05 2026
Beware the ides of April? Distracted US opens door to potential Taiwan move by Beijing
With the United States once again distracted in the Middle East and chewing through critical munitions at a rate of knots, it may have unwittingly emboldened Beijing to take...
March 03 2026
Washington’s Iran gamble and Australia’s strategic stakes
Opinion: A strike on the United States Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain underscores the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, with the outcome likely to...
March 03 2026
Really? We’re still afraid to have ‘hard conversations’ about our woeful defence capabilities?
The weekend’s renewed fighting in the Middle East reinforces the same lesson as the Russian invasion of Ukraine: the emerging multipolar world will be competitive,...
March 02 2026
Competitive coexistence, the ‘Fight Tonight’ force and Australia’s growing multipolar predicament
Just as the Cold War was characterised by a period of “Competitive Coexistence” between the United States and the Soviet Union, our new multipolar world embodies...
February 27 2026
Intergenerational warfare: The social cohesion issue no one wants to broach
With much of Australia’s political and policy discourse since 14 December focused on social cohesion and the intersection with national security, why have we failed to...
February 25 2026
Carving the turkey: Trump’s strategy for isolating Axis allies becomes clearer, but questions remain for US partners
Like a skilled chef carving up a Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey, President Donald Trump is slowly and methodically paring Beijing and Moscow’s allies away from their...
February 24 2026
Banana republic 2.0: Renewed concerns about Australia’s economy raises more questions
With concerns about the health and vitality of the national economy, experts are once again dusting off the “banana republic” moniker, raising major questions...
February 23 2026
Surveillance technology: Is it really that bad?
Drones, invasive software, data mining tools and other forms of digital surveillance are increasingly critical features of modern warfare.
February 19 2026
Turkey’s Pacific play: Systemic entrenchment inside Australia’s threshold
Opinion: Turkey has quietly built long-term diplomatic, institutional and political influence across the Pacific – leveraging development aid, elite engagement and...
February 19 2026
Return of the rising sun: Japan’s new PM signals rapid rearmament and ‘normalisation’ to counter rise of China
Eighty-one years following the end of the Second World War, Japan is seeking to cast off the shackles imposed upon it by the United States, as the new prime minister, Sanae...
February 18 2026
From experiment to imperative: Uncrewed surface vessels and the future of Indo‑Pacific security
Opinion: Wind back the clock to 2002. The US Navy’s Enterprise Carrier Strike Group is preparing for an extended combat deployment to the Persian Gulf.
February 17 2026
Japan accelerates dual-use technology cooperation and development: Opportunities for allied nation industrial cooperation
Opinion: Japan’s snap election has delivered Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the LDP a two-thirds mandate to fast-track defence and dual-use reforms, tightening US...
February 13 2026
Before, during and after Herzog’s visit to Australia
On Monday night, NSW and the Albanese government have welcomed the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, to our country to console the Jewish community following the Bondi terror...
February 12 2026
Defence Estate Audit response: Periods of change demand leadership at every level
Opinion: The Australian government has released the outcomes of the Defence Base Rationalisation Review.
February 11 2026
RSL Australia urges government to tap the brakes on Defence Estate sell-off
Opinion: The Returned & Services League of Australia calls for careful stewardship of Defence heritage in historic estate reforms, says RSL Australia national president...
February 10 2026
Australia cries strategic urgency as it delays national action
Opinion: One year after a 36-point blueprint declared defence Australia’s “no higher priority”, implementation suggests a different hierarchy of urgency.
February 09 2026
Stepping up to the big table: Calls for Australia to plan for a post-US regional order continue to mount
It is an uncomfortable reality Australia may be forced to confront: an Indo-Pacific without US primacy and associated leadership which will place increased emphasis on...
February 06 2026