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

Forging allied industrial power: J-StarX and Project Dynamis join forces
Opinion: The emerging partnership between the US, Japan, and Australia, centred on initiatives like J-StarX and Project Dynamis, demonstrates a...
October 16 2025
Canary in the iron ore mine: China’s demands of BHP signal a bold shift towards de-dollarisation
Beijing’s push to pressure BHP, the world’s biggest miner, into trading in yuan has rattled markets but barely registered with geopolitical analysts. Many have...
October 15 2025
US Navy’s upgrades to Zumwalt Class provide naval leg for conventional deterrence triad model
For nations like Australia, deterrence has long been seen as the preserve of nuclear superpowers. Yet today, conventional deterrence is becoming a defining tool for middle...
October 14 2025
Mobilisation, (re)industrialisation and Australia’s long-term security
Australia’s industrial capacity (or lack thereof) has been increasingly under the microscope in recent weeks, with the rhetoric recognising the importance of a...
October 13 2025
Papua New Guinea, Australia mutual defence treaty secures military and regional stability
The newly signed defence agreement between Australia and Papua New Guinea represents a commonsense outcome and formal acknowledgement between the two countries for the...
October 10 2025
Impactful projection, really? Australia’s siege ‘strategy’ will only hurt us
Since the release of the 2023 Defence Strategic Review and 2024 National Defence Strategy, Australia’s defence strategy has been effectively rebranded by a doctrine of...
October 09 2025
Run out of luck? Curse of the ‘Lucky Country’ strikes again, warns Australian spy chief
For generations, Australians have been told that we are the “Lucky Country” based on Donald Horne’s book of the same name, but once again, his true meaning...
October 08 2025
The war you don’t see: Inside the battle for Australia’s mind
Opinion: China’s hybrid operations against Australia fuse industrial disinformation, cyber infiltration and narrative warfare to reshape markets, weaken alliances like...
October 07 2025
The War You Don’t See: Inside the Battle for Australia’s Mind
China’s hybrid operations against Australia fuse industrial disinformation, cyber infiltration, and narrative warfare to reshape markets, weaken alliances like AUKUS,...
October 07 2025
Far from perfect but closing in on scary levels of capability: Expert warns
Beijing’s military modernisation has rightfully drawn attention from across the Indo-Pacific, and while it has had some setbacks and is far from perfect, the reality is...
October 06 2025
Book review: Roar of the Dragon forecasts worst-case Taiwan scenario
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...
October 02 2025
Next steps: With AUKUS surviving, what should we do next?
With it looking like AUKUS has survived the Trump administration’s review into its viability and impact on the US Navy’s own future submarine capabilities and...
October 01 2025
Only as strong as the sum of its parts: Rebuilding international institutions requires rebuilt, robust nation-states
International bodies like the UN, World Bank and EU have been flexing their muscles in recent years, but they forget they’re only as strong as their member states...
September 30 2025
An offer they can’t refuse: Beijing, Moscow partner in preparation for Taiwan move
A new report by the Royal United Services Institute has revealed that Moscow is aiding Beijing and its preparations for a potential move on Taiwan, setting the scene for...
September 29 2025
The debate continues: Maximising defence spending before increasing the budget
Australia’s ongoing debate about its level of defence spending is once again gaining headlines, with renewed and urgent calls to focus on material capability rather...
September 26 2025
Local special interests push back with ‘Port Kembla Declaration’, but they are missing the point and the opportunities
A group of concerned local special interests groups have launched their latest attack on the potential use of Port Kembla on the NSW South Coast as the proposed east coast...
September 25 2025
Saudi–Pakistan defensive pact reveals the new ‘multipolar’ reality Australia seems reluctant to accept
The reality of a multipolar world is now inescapable, with former rivals Saudi Arabia and Pakistan recently inking a mutual defensive pact, forming the basis of a new,...
September 24 2025
Indonesia set to join regional ‘carrier club’, leaving Australia behind the curve again
The Indonesian government has allegedly approved a US$450 million (AU$682.5 million) loan to acquire the Italian Navy’s retired aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi,...
September 23 2025
Mask-off moment: Regional response to PNG defence treaty push reveals truth of multipolar world
The prime minister’s failure to deliver a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea and the mounting response from regional nations expressing concern have only served to...
September 22 2025
Naval readiness begins ashore: Infrastructure is the weak link
Opinion: Australia’s Navy risks being strong on paper but constrained in practice without modern, resilient infrastructure to sustain operations across two oceans....
September 19 2025