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"Less prepared than in 1941": Experts stark warning of China's growth and Australia's readiness
Dr Ross Babbage and Michael Pezzulo recently discussed how sovereign capability priorities and geopolitical risks, specifically re...
US Space Force completes acquisition overhaul to accelerate delivery of combat capabilities
The US Space Force has completed a major restructuring of its acquisition enterprise, establishing nine mission-focused portfolio ...
CBA chief economist Luke Yeaman clarifies ‘critical breaking point in oil exports’ at Australian Defence Industry Accelerator Summit
Commonwealth Bank of Australia chief economist Luke Yeaman has simultaneously warned of an approaching critical breaking point in ...
Department of Defence to ‘enable, not gatekeep’ industry on sensitive data, expertise guidelines
Department of Defence has committed to “enable, not gatekeep” the defence industry in regard to current guidelines around sens...
Submarine simulator opens at HMAS Stirling
A new submarine training simulator has opened for Royal Australian Navy officers to enhance their expertise in undersea warfare.
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Feature Insights
‘Better prepared’ in 1914 – historian’s critique begs the question: How did we drop the ball so badly?
Acclaimed Australian historian Geoffrey Blainey has issued a pointed warning to Australia’s political leaders, that the nation was...
April 29 2025
Unfit for purpose: Whoever wins, we need to prepare the nation for conflict
Right now, our nation is laughably unprepared for conflict brewing in our region – and the economic, political, social and security fallout will be brutal. Whoever wins...
April 28 2025
When your customer doesn’t know you exist – a pain point for Australia’s defence industry
Australia’s defence sector is growing fast, with significant expenditure committed to local capability under the Defence Strategic Review and AUKUS. But despite this...
April 24 2025
US reliability waning: Australia requires alternative self-defence policy
Opinion: There has been a dramatic change in our strategic circumstances. United States reliability has been found wanting.
April 23 2025
Election 2025: Steve’s Defence priorities and wish list for the next government
With the election just a few weeks away and defence and national security barely rating a mention despite the best efforts of both Beijing and Moscow, we asked each of the...
April 22 2025
Becoming a ‘keystone’ nation in the face of a post-America Asia
As America’s attention and increasingly limited resources are being pulled into multiple directions, its enduring commitment to acting as the security benefactor has...
April 16 2025
Renegotiating, restructuring Pax Americana and Australia’s place in it
With the world in a state of seemingly constant flux and the established norms being rewritten on a daily basis, Australia, like many American allies and partners, has the...
April 15 2025
Lessons from the Ukrainian front lines
The war in Ukraine has rewritten the rules for what near-peer conflict might look like, and those rules are still being written. Here are some of the key takeaways after...
April 11 2025
Is it too little, too late? NZ announces complete rebuild of military capability
The New Zealand government has announced a complete overhaul and universal rebuild of its military forces and defence infrastructure.
April 10 2025
The best of both worlds? Navigating and charting the enduring evolution of the Australia-US alliance
Amid growing concern about the future of the Australia-US alliance off the back of President Donald Trump's indiscriminate tariff regime gaining traction amongst some...
April 09 2025
Get real about defence and national security, warns former foreign minister
Former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer has urged our leaders and the public to take defence and national security more seriously as the election campaign gets...
April 08 2025
Trump’s tariffs present more opportunities than challenges – we just have to be brave
Now that the hyperventilating and hysteria have stopped (hopefully), perhaps it is time to look at the Trump tariffs with clear eyes and start viewing them as an opportunity...
April 07 2025
Federal budget fallout: Liberals, Labor expose soft puffery underbelly on defence policy
Hypocrites. That’s the word that accurately sums up the fallout from last week’s federal budget and reply speech.
April 04 2025
Yes, Australia can defend itself independently, but not as an echidna
Many commentators have long debated Australia's capacity to defend itself independently, with arguments both in the pro and con columns. But for too long, the Australian...
April 03 2025
Frogs in boiling water: Taiwan, Australia share some similarities as Beijing steps up coercion attempts
Beijing is stepping up its attempts to wear down Taiwan with expansive military exercises to surround the island. Meanwhile, closer to home, we have seen the latest attempts...
April 02 2025
The 2009 white paper, Force 2030 and a jumping-off point
When it was officially launched in May 2009, the Defending Australia in the Asia-Pacific Century: Force 2030 white paper was met with varying degrees of criticism –...
April 01 2025
Pete Hegseth, the Signal disaster, and the unbearable stupidity of the Trump administration
As high-level talks to plan a US strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen went public in the most disastrous way this week, one question looms large – are any adults actually...
March 28 2025
Finally! Recognition that we’re rudderless
As Australia heads into the quagmire that comes with an election campaign where defence and national security will play an increasing role, there is a growing recognition...
March 24 2025
If Australia stands for anything, we must send troops to Ukraine if we’re asked
The Prime Minister says we should consider it, while the Coalition wants to use “boots on the ground” as a political wedge … But there’s more than...
March 21 2025
Efficiency review long overdue: Is a more transparent, accountable US Department of Defense the way forward?
The US Department of Defense has recently announced it will undertake an evolving plan to make military projects, funding and reporting more transparent.
March 20 2025