Looking back shouldn’t stop us looking forward

Though we mourn the dead on ANZAC Day, we cannot fool ourselves that war is to be avoided at all costs in ways that aggressors will seek to exploit.

Learning from Ukraine

Land wars of the recent past were shaped primarily by the industrial-scale production of tanks and artillery but today’s wars are now being determined by the capacity to produce and deploy large numbers of unmanned systems at relatively low cost.

War at the speed of light

For decades, notions of laser weapons have been the stuff of science fiction. Now they are becoming military reality, as directed-energy weapons, including high-energy lasers and high-power microwave weapons, open new approaches to counter swarms of cheap drones.

Send in the drones

Expanding Australia’s fleet of autonomous and uncrewed defence and weapon systems will help the ADF keep the nation safe, support local jobs and harness Australian innovation.

War at sea

The sinking of the Iranian frigate Dena in the Indian Ocean on 4 March by the United States Navy’s Los Angeles-class submarine USS Charlotte is a blunt reminder that maritime war does not respect the tidy geographic boundaries delineated on paper in policy frameworks.

Sea power means more than just ships

The conflict in the Middle East and threats to tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz have pushed oil prices sharply higher and proved that Australia’s prosperity depends on sea lanes it does little to secure.

The sea, the sea

The current conflict in the Middle East highlights the importance of maintaining Australia’s naval and commercial fleets and improving home grown oil refining capacity.

Israel’s “Iron Beam”

War lasers may still sound like science fiction but Israel and other nations are developing them to counter swarms of crude enemy drones and missiles in a cost-effective manner.

Hard power matters too

The United States’ and Israel’s military operations against Iran highlight the importance of the Australian Defence Force’s long-range strike and power projection capabilities.

Hands across the Tasman

Amid intensifying regional challenges and weakening multilateral systems, the trans-Tasman alliance must evolve from habit into a deliberately integrated, credible, and strategically agile instrument for regional stability.

The Navy at 125

The Royal Australia Navy has a long and distinguished history but faces a period of weakness before new ships are launched to protect this island nation from China’s growing threat to the Pacific.

It’s not about finding your dog

The public backlash to Amazon’s superbowl advert publicising its ability to collate information from domestic security cameras has increased scrutiny on the private surveillance state the big tech platforms are building.