Analysis

National Defence Strategy 2026: Spending on military cyber capability to reach at least $15bn
The Australian government’s latest defence blueprint beds in cyber as a key warfighting capability – here’s the breakdown from the latest...
April 17 2026
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National Defence Strategy 2026: What’s in, what’s out and where to from here?
The long wait is over with the release of the 2026 National Defence Strategy and supporting Integrated Investment Program, with some winners, some losers and a clearer path...
April 16 2026
Recruitment, retention and resilience in the ADF: 2024–25 figures
Recruitment and retention have long been a challenge facing the Australian Defence Force, with the Defence Annual Report 2024–25 reinforcing this fact.
April 15 2026
Navel-gazing: What can we expect and what should we expect with the next NDS and IIP?
As speculation mounts about the release of the 2026 National Defence Strategy (NDS) and the supporting Integrated Investment Program (IIP), which will come later this week,...
April 14 2026
Cyber war: Pro-Iranian hackers vow to fight on despite a fragile ceasefire with the US
A civilisational apocalypse in Iran may have been averted for now, but despite the ceasefire now in place, hacktivists and state-linked hackers are expected to continue...
April 10 2026
The king is dead, long live the king: Iran ceasefire the nail in the coffin of the ‘rules-based order’
As the world continues to grapple with the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East and prepares for the next round of negotiations between combatants, one thing is...
April 09 2026
Australia’s Plan B: Where to in a post-global America world?
The fallout of America’s disastrous campaign against Iran, coupled with the continued fraying of the “rules-based order”, has Australia being urged to seriously...
April 08 2026
Put your money where your mouth is: Australia trying to achieve budget ‘grand strategy’ will leave us exposed in pursuit of Plan B
Yet again Australia’s “efforts” to develop and implement a form of “grand strategy” have been left wanting, as pivotal voices in the debate call for Australia to...
April 07 2026
Stuffed it: Middle East adventures throw economy, allies and stability into disarray
Opinion: By now it is pretty clear that the conflict in the Middle East responsible for constraining at least 20–25 per cent of the world’s oil supply is going from bad...
April 02 2026
Tired of winning: US government shows how to lose an industry and hurt its friends
Opinion: US policy reversals under Trump scrapping EV incentives, imposing broad tariffs and triggering an oil shock have undermined American and allied automakers, while...
April 02 2026
Information sharing of cyber threats vital to national security
Opinion: Modern conflict shows cyber operations and rapid intelligence sharing are essential to national resilience, but Australia must overcome legal, cultural and technical...
April 01 2026
AUKUS submarines: US and UK partners show the realities facing Australia’s small fleet
Opinion: Even in a best-case scenario, Australia’s eight nuclear submarines would likely produce only about two consistently deployable boats due to maintenance, workforce...
March 30 2026
From Pine Gap to HMAS Stirling: Australia must reclaim strategic authorship
Opinion: Australia risks remaining legally sovereign while effectively operating within allied military systems unless it asserts greater control over how its territory is...
March 30 2026
Failed: Strategic policy expert lashes Australia’s policymaking ‘elites’
Yet again the “Lucky Country” is finding that luck is far from a strategy to navigate life, but this didn’t happen overnight, rather it has been years, if not decades,...
March 27 2026
US struggling in Hormuz shows Australia needs to seriously reconsider its maritime capabilities
As the United States Navy continues its efforts to reopen and secure the Strait of Hormuz, Australia must learn some critical lessons about the scale and make-up of its...
March 25 2026
May you live in interesting times: ANU report reveals Australians’ growing anxiety about the world
Australia now appears to be living in the reality of the ancient Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times”, with a growing proportion of the public recognising...
March 24 2026
125 years of the Army and Navy: Australia’s most notable operations
The year 2026 marks an important date for Australia’s military history, celebrating 125 years of the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army operation and service to...
March 23 2026
Sovereignty is back on the menu: Australia faces uphill challenge to rebuild something few understand
The concept of sovereignty is something successive Australian governments and the public have both struggled to understand, particularly in an era of hyperglobalisation. Now...
March 20 2026
Q&A: The Iran war, cyber warfare, and the role of hacktivism outside of the front lines
Dr Avi Davidi, Iran expert at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, speaks to Defence Connect on the role of cyber operations in the fighting in Iran.
March 19 2026
Security, sovereignty and the Indo-Pacific: Morrison’s strategic ‘reset’ warning
Opinion: Former prime minister Scott Morrison argues that today’s global turmoil is a strategic reset, one that demands democracies, rebuilds strength and resilience...
March 18 2026