Ships still have a place at sea

Despite the growing lethality of anti-ship missiles and hunter-killer submarines, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the head of Australia’s Navy, firmly believes that surface sea power still has a major role to play in modern conflicts.

Is bigger big enough?

The Federal Government’s plan to expand Australian naval power is welcome, although the review tacitly accepts that a lack of manpower is as big a problem as a lack of modern ships and missile firepower.

Navy 2.0

The Federal government has unveiled its plan to revamp the Australian Navy, but given the struggles of recent ship procurement projects, will it solve our current problems – or just create new ones?

Final voyage

The 60th anniversary of the loss of HMAS Voyager after a collision with the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne prompts us to remember the 82 brave men who lost their lives in peacetime as they trained to defend their country.

Maritime security in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia’s maritime environment faces threats from piracy, slavery, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. A maritime security program tailored for the region may address these issues while drawing partners closer to Australia.

Drone wars

Small, cheap, quadcopter drones have emerged as a major threat on modern battlefields from Ukraine to Yemen, so how can western armies shoot them down?

Reopening the Mitrokhin archive

Tuesday 23 January marked 20 years since the passing of a Russian defector whose revelations confirmed the egregious nature of Soviet intelligence operations and global interference during the Cold War.

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.