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Roar of the Dragon feels like a worst-case scenario of reality as an Indo-Pacific coalition, including Australia, attempts to stop the invasion of Taiwan without the support of the United States military juggernaut.
Defence Connect dives into an advance copy of the upcoming military technothriller, Roar of the Dragon, written by Kellen Squire.
Foremost, I should mention that the provided 280-page sample is a great read of engaging military strategy, equipment and observations about the current world order.
At times, the novel felt eerily accurate in the way it explored South China Sea geopolitics and in-depth military systems knowledge regarding Australian Defence Force personnel, procedures and capability.
Squire presented a timely and increasingly relevant story, set in the not-to-distant year of 2027, centrally anchored around the imminent invasion of Taiwan (Republic of China) by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
In this setting, America has withdrawn into political paralysis and domestic paranoia, under the stewardship of current US President Donald Trump.
The tension ramps upward as the defence of Taiwan falls to a small but unified fictional Pacific coalition of Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and other Indo-Pacific allies to prevent a monumental People’s Liberation Army force determined to fulfil the personal goal of reunification championed by the Chinese Communist Party and PRC President Xi Jinping.
The novel featured specific nods to future technology advances such as the active teaming of Australian F-35 joint strike fighters with MQ-28 Ghost Bat unmanned aircraft, PRC investment and development of ultra-low flying aircraft ekranoplans and use of an artificial intelligence-enabled Pacific Defence Command Integration facility, “The Hive”, in Singapore to predict military strategy and coordinate coalition forces.
Squire showcased flashes of military accuracy with his interpretation of wartime operations using real world assets such as Royal Australian Navy guided missile destroyer HMAS Hobart, RAN Collins Class submarine HMAS Sheean, Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft as well as the defensive roles of rocket artillery, special forces mountaineering teams, Taiwanese M60 Patton and M1 Abrams main battle tanks.
In a case of art imitating life, the novel hits on several crucial emerging issues facing current Western allies in the Indo-Pacific.
A key section of the book focused on the PLA’s substantial assets and military preparation of cyber attack capability as well as a possible willingness to use civilian systems as attack vectors to disable or delay adversaries and achieve military goals. This line of thinking is increasingly considered probable in current military speculation about this unseen reality.
Squire also perfectly outlined the current conundrum facing Taiwanese and Western allies about the increasingly blurred line between PRC military exercises and military preparation when compared to actual warfare during a potential invasion of Taiwan. He illustrated the confusion and deadly delay associated with traditional “engage when you are engaged” military orders when faced with the narrative of seemingly innocent freedom of navigation and military preparation.
By far the most important issue recognised by the novel is its main premise, “What can Western allies achieve without the backing and support of traditional ringmaster United States of America and traditional US-aligned allies in the United Kingdom?” This concept expands into a quest by allies such as Australia, Japan and South Korea to coordinate while engaging other neutral Indo-Pacific nations such as Indonesia and Vietnam to their cause.
Strategic moments aside, the tension of Roar of the Dragon is sometimes broken by unbelievable passages of laugh-out-loud humour.
In particular, the characterisation of Xi Jinping as a hidden puppet master controlling the US government to his every whim and plan through his “personal friend” in US President Donald Trump definitely breaks the immersion of an otherwise pressurised novel.
The dialogue between these two key leaders is often “chummy” and filled with blind trust as seen between childhood friends, noticeably absent of dissenting views from real-life government advisers. Whether by design or accident, this is likely a necessary choice to allow Squire to quickly dispatch and cordon off further involvement of US leadership and decision making in a novel centred on the Western coalition.
Interestingly, major allies of the PRC in Russia and North Korea are also noticeably absent despite the fact that they would almost certainly provide military support or diplomatic backing for President Xi’s goal of reunification in an actual open conflict.
Final thoughts
Roar of the Dragon showcased a fantastic reading experience, with an unusually in-depth knowledge of military systems and assets in the Indo-Pacific. The action is thrilling, the strategy is astounding and the tension builds steadily towards the critical invasion point.
