Australia’s vanishing surface fleet

Australia’s navy is a fraction of its former size, and the focus on nuclear powered hunter killer submarines means there is little money left to expand the number of surface combatants.

Navy blues

Australia’s failure to contribute a ship to allied efforts in the Red Sea to protect civilian shipping exemplifies a broader failure to support our allies and invest properly in naval capability.

Terror in our midst

The fact that unrepentant jihadist and convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika is being released from jail into the community should concern every Australian.

Does Australia need a national security advisor?

Australia’s ability to navigate the world could be strengthened by appointing an influential and autonomous National Security Advisor who can work hand in glove with their global counterparts in tenacious pursuit of our interests.

Paper tigers

There is no shortage of appeasers in the West who believe that China’s military might renders support for Taiwan futile, but these are the same people who argued against supporting Ukraine faced with the ‘might’ of the Russian army.

People have the power

Despite the importance of new technology, people remain at the heart of Australia’s armed forces.

Protecting Australia

Australia’s most senior military officer has warned that the nation faces complex and interwoven threats including high-end military capabilities, economic coercion, climate change and AI-driven dangers to democracy in a post-truth world.

Weapons proliferation in the age of AI

Hostile states, terrorist groups and aggrieved individuals now have access to technologies and informational aids that used to be the stuff of science fiction, and policy makers must confront advanced weapons proliferation in the new age of AI.

Cable sabotage in the Baltic Sea

The damaging of two subsea telecommunications cables and a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea by a Chinese container vessel underlines the reliance of the western world on these cables and the need to protect them from hostile authoritarian regimes.

Reviving the Royal Australian Fleet Auxiliary

In an era of reduced strategic warning time, bold decisions are necessary and risk must be accepted to gain strategic and operational advantage. Re-establishing the Royal Australian Fleet Auxiliary is an option worth considering.

Operation Malabar

The recent iteration of the Malabar military exercises is an illustration of the growing military interoperability, mutual trust, and coordinated response of the Quad countries. More are needed to maintain stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, threatened increasingly by China’s military assertiveness.

Rebooting Australia’s defence industry

Australia needs a powerful department that spans industry, trade and investment, mandated with extensive powers and equipped with resources to shape the economy to strategic needs.