The mangled myths dogging the joint strike fighter

With the RAAF’s first two operational joint strike fighters arriving in early December, long-time critics have launched a fresh wave of claims that the aircraft is a disaster, but are any of these assertions actually true?

Australian ingenuity is still flying high

Lockheed Martin’s chief executive in Australia, Vince Di Pietro, praises Australia’s record of innovation in the past and looks forward to a bright future of technological co-operation with the USA.

Defence must adapt fast, or fail

The overwhelming speed of technological development means armed forces must change their approach to everything from who they recruit and train to how targets are attacked and how a nation defends itself.

An army is made of its people

The 100th anniversary of the Battle of Hamel has been remembered as the first time American troops fought under an Australian general and a textbook study of how to plan an attack. However the individual stories from the battle underline the fact that an army is only as good as its people.

Bringing to light what goes on in the shadows

Allegations of appalling behaviour by a small number of Australian special forces soldiers accused of killing unarmed prisoners in Afghanistan must be properly investigated but also raise questions about the overuse of special forces compared to infantry personnel.

Defend your democracy

John Berry, the former American Ambassador to Canberra, urges Australia, the United States and other democracies to stand up to autocratic and increasingly aggressive nations such as Russia and China and protect their institutions against all attempts to undermine them.