Learning from the past to defend our future

The independent leads of Australia’s defence strategic review, Stephen Smith and Angus Houston, have a tough task on their hands, but should learn the lessons of the past to shape Australia’s defence in the future.

Prepare for the worst

Three years of economic shocks and increasing international tensions mean that Australia should prepare for the logistics and infrastructure impacts of military crises.

An arsenal for democracy

Australia can become a key part of the arsenal of democracy by leveraging the benefits of Industry 4.0 and producing innovative weapons to help Ukraine and Taiwan resist the might of their toxic neighbours.

Eyes in the sky over the Pacific

Combining data from space platforms and terrestrial craft will boost Australia’s awareness of maritime activities, from illegal fishing to Chinese naval movements, in the Indo-Pacific.

Revamping the ADF

The Labor government must accept the challenge posed by a rising China to our nation and our region and respond with responsible and decisive changes to Australian defence policy.

Industry and defence must gear up against China

Harnessing resources from industry through to armed forces, Australia, the United States and their allies must together develop an effective level of military power in the Indo-Pacific to avoid ‘a catastrophic failure of deterrence.

Australians back more defence spending

Australians are becoming more fearful in an insecure world, and want to see the country armed up, favouring more defence spending and the planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines.

How Sweden will strengthen NATO

Based largely on home-grown technology, Sweden’s modern, powerful and well trained armed forces will bolster NATO’s power in the Baltic where an aggressive Russia has been threatening the Baltic states for years.

Australia can’t be a safe haven for war criminals

Australia has offered a home to too many thugs and criminals guilty of horrendous acts abroad, and shouldn’t continue to shelter such people, nor allow Russia’s legion of rapists and murderers escape justice here.

Europe must invest in its own survival

The end of the cold war allowed European powers to slash defence spending, but the reality of Russia’s threat to the free world demands a much greater investment in the tools required to defend freedom and independence from Putin’s barbarism.

Reframing security in a post-invasion world

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is part of a new era of ideological competition and great power confrontation that has uprooted the post-Cold War international order.

Russia’s Ukraine invasion must be Australia’s clarion call

Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has shown that war between major powers has become a reality to be faced squarely, rather than an abstract concept to be dismissed or wished away.