Defending the nation

In an age of heightened geopolitical competition and the real prospect of high-intensity conflict, Australia must embrace a whole-of-nation approach to national defence.

The independent case for boosting defence

The case for boosting Australian defence spending is compelling and we shouldn’t need US prodding to protect ourselves from growing international threats.

Australia’s cottage defence industry

Australia’s defence manufacturers are essentially a cottage industry, with the average supplier employing only 13 people and achieving net annual sales of about $2.2 million.

Ready for action?

The ADF is at risk of being caught in a no-man’s-land, neither doing enough to deter aggression, nor being ready for a conflict today, nor investing in capability and technology in a way that will prepare us for a future one.

The drums of war

Australia remembered its fallen heroes on ANZAC day, but the need to defend democracy is more pressing than ever.

Defending ourselves

Donald Trump’s America is no longer a trusted ally or defence supplier, and so the allied nations which remain must focus on developing their own hardware to defend themselves against Chinese and Russian aggression.

Treating defence like it matters

The National Defence Strategy released in April 2024 warned that Australia’s strategic circumstances were rapidly deteriorating in the face of Russian and Chinese aggression, and the election of Donald Trump underlines the need for Australia to prepare to defend itself.

After America

Donald Trump’s hostile takeover of the USA has seen it abandon its allies and values with dizzying speed, forcing the remainder of the democratic world to protect itself from the authoritarian world the USA seems eager to join.

Safeguarding Australia

The government’s failure to address critical vulnerabilities in defence, energy security, and economic resilience exposes the nation to unprecedented risks.

Australian defence and deterrence

Robbin Laird’s “Australian Defence and Deterrence: A 2024 Update” serves as a handy summation of the Defence challenges faced by Australia in a more contested world.

People have the power

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

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.