A window into Defence, government’s obsession with secrecy and the fanaticism of silence
Silence is king in the Australian government and Department of Defence. Those who have had dealings with either group can attest t...
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-l...
HMAS Stuart on display in multinational exercise
HMAS Stuart has played an imperative role in the final stage of Exercise Kakadu, with crews praising the frigate’s contribution ...
‘The short answer is yes, we could absolutely deploy’: ADF chief on the Strait of Hormuz
Australia’s Chief of Defence has said that sending a warship to the Strait of Hormuz could “absolutely” be done, if called u...

Feature Insights

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...
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
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
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
Trump the unilateralist becomes Trump the multilateralist – for now
Opinion: Donald Trump’s administration is now urging other countries to secure the Strait of Hormuz, exposing both American strategic misjudgement and Australia’s...
March 17 2026
Ignorance is bliss: Technological self-denial is death on the modern battlefield
On the modern battlefield, technology developed by Iran, Russia and China has often been characterised as being copied or adapted from Western designs.
March 13 2026
Japan turns to dual-use technology to power a new defence industrial strategy
Opinion: Japan is rapidly integrating dual-use technologies and civilian innovation into its defence strategy to strengthen supply chains, expand defence exports and deepen...
March 11 2026
Lessons from the mother country: Lacklustre Royal Navy has some hard truths for RAN
Despite the recent success of Operation Highmast in 2025, all is not well with the Royal Navy, as events in the Middle East reveal that the once indefatigable Royal Navy is...
March 10 2026
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 is now politically...
March 09 2026
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