Defending Australia in an age of strategic disruption

The threat to Australia is real and increasing, for the first time since the Second World War.
The ADF must increase its readiness for conflict, with more training, higher stocks of munitions and protected operational bases in the north.

Squaring the defence circle with tied hands

Defence’s worst kept secret is now officially public as Defence Minister Linda Reynolds revealed at last week’s Sea Power conference in Sydney that her Department is conducting a strategic review.

Maximising the economic benefit of Australia’s defence projects

The Department of Defence needs to ensure that current and future megaprojects actively foster Australian innovation and maximise local industry involvement in areas of high economic value.

How to defend Australia

The task Australia faces in deciding its future levels of defence spending is to balance that risk against the cost of building the armed forces required to deal with it.

How not to defend Australia?

Hugh White’s “How to defend Australia” is an elegant book but it’s fundamentally wrong on just about every judgement it contains.

More is at stake than merely leaked information

Australians are right to be alarmed about police raids on the ABC and a newspaper journalist’s home.

Defending the north – Then and now

While most of Australia’s population lives in the south east, any threat to the country must be faced from the north, and so plans to strengthen Australia’s defences must begin there.

Australia’s defence and security: Are we doing enough?

Given that anything in Australian defence takes decades to mature, an upcoming election is the perfect time to talk about the issue of defence and security.

Beefing up the Parliamentary Defence Committee

Australia’s Parliamentary defence committee should be given the power to pursue a national security strategy, given the increasing threat of China in the region and the relative military decline of the United States.

Forward ‘defence in depth’ for Australia

China is determined to challenge the US across the Indo-Pacific and replace the established rules-based order with a Chinese-led system. Extending Australia’s defence capability would help counter this threat.

Building our own warships is Australia’s path to the next industrial revolution

The Federal government’s substantial investment in new frigates and submarines may prove as important to our nation’s economy as it is to our military security.

Once bitten, twice shy – Getting real about Australia’s security

Australia’s reliance on an over-stretched, under-resourced Royal Navy was exposed by Japan in the Second World War and we must not make the same mistake by over-relying on the USA as China steps up its regional ambitions and power.