Feature Insights

Middle East in crisis, Lebanon teeters on a knife edge

July 06 2021

Following years of uncertainty in the Middle East and North Africa, Lebanon has emerged as the most recent country to succumb to the contagion of poli...

Rethinking Australia’s deterrence strategy

Australia’s defence planning should extend beyond the development of warfighting capability, incorporating broader efforts to build national resilience as part of a new...

July 05 2021

The Taliban continues to make swift gains across Afghanistan

A strategic summary of the Taliban's growth in Afghanistan.

July 02 2021

China’s long march through global institutions

Liberal democracies must be on guard against Beijing’s attempts to garner influence on the international stage through the infiltration of established global institutions,...

June 30 2021

Drawing a line in the sand for cyber conflict

Cyber war is a mainstay in modern conflict. How precisely should nations respond to state and non-state cyber attacks?

June 29 2021

Should Australia temper its stance on China?

The retiring secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Frances Adamson, said in a noteworthy speech at the National Press Club that China was “a...

June 28 2021

In numbers – Australia’s changing attitudes towards China

Australians are increasingly concerned about military confrontation with China, according to new data, which confirms a fundamental shift in attitudes towards the communist...

June 25 2021

Biden’s ‘deeply troubling’ signal to Indo-Pacific partners

President Joe Biden’s first defence budget request suggests the growing military imbalance in the Indo-Pacific is being viewed as a “future challenge” not an “urgent...

June 24 2021

Will the Abrams upgrades weigh heavy on Army capability?

Defence recently made the decision to upgrade its existing fleet of Abrams tanks, but should the Commonwealth have considered alternatives?

June 23 2021

Assessing AIC commitments under the Hunter Class program

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

June 22 2021

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