Caught between the sword and shield

For the last 50 years, Australian defence policy has wavered between the sword and shield, but as the strategic environment changes, we may have to choose between them once and for all.

Ourselves, alone

Many people believe that Australia would never need to defend itself unaided, however the reality is that we must depend on our own resources to ensure our own defence.

Time out for TikTok

The news that Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok is not approved for use on devices owned by Australia’s Department of Defence should come as no surprise.

The rocky road from concept to combat

The way industry, the army and military scientists worked together to harden the Bushmaster against ever more devastating IEDs offers a model of effective defence cooperation.

Standing alone: why Australia can’t rely on America

The rising threat of China and the relative decline in American power and resolve mean that Australia must get serious about assuring its own defence in the future.

Soldiers shouldn’t fight fires

As bushfires become the norm, rather than the exception, new strategies must be found to fight them, but using soldiers to augment volunteers is not a tenable way forward.

Field notes from the new Cold War

The growing pace of strategic change means that every week brings more data points charting the Indo-Pacific’s slide towards a riskier, more dangerous reality.

The Russia-China Axis menaces the West

The dictatorships in charge of Russia and China are taking advantage of the West’s unwillingness to invest in defence, or even believe in itself, and posing an ever greater threat to international security.

The real choice over China

A systematic series of measures must be adopted to protect Australia’s society, economy and politics from relentless interference from China.

How do you judge tough military decisions?

New research investigates the role of hindsight in assessing a difficult military decision and how the outcome of that action can bias our judgement of whether it was appropriate or even legal.

Shoring up the north

The economic future of Australia’s north is firmly focused on exports, but it could also host more industrial capacity, not least to support the Defence industry.

An Australian space defence force?

What might warfare in space look like and what should the Australian Defence Force be doing to prepare?