China’s military build up gathers pace

China’s investment in modern military equipment continues apace, but the iron hand of the Communist Party is also hampering the innovation and capacity building required to build an effective military organisation.

Lost in the long grass

Commentators criticising the purchase of planes, submarines and tanks by the Australian Defence Force are quick to call these capabilities obsolete, but such glib analysis is seldom based on reality, let alone the history they inevitably reference.

Britain gets ready for war

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute’s Land Warfare Conference in London, the British Chief of the General Staff has outlined Britain’s military response to Russian threats of war in response to Britain’s support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

Forewarned is forearmed

Army chief Lieutenant General Rick Burr has written to all of Australia’s soldiers to prepare them for the release of a report expected to contain shocking allegations that a small number of troops carried out multiple war crimes in Afghanistan.

How do you judge tough military decisions?

New research investigates the role of hindsight in assessing a difficult military decision and how the outcome of that action can bias our judgement of whether it was appropriate or even legal.

Special forces – special problems?

The ADF is subject to the rule of law, and our troops and their leaders are rightly accountable for their actions in battle, but the context and history of our special forces must also be understood before any rush to judgement.

Special forces’ approach to technological change offers a model for others

New procurement principles and practice spearheaded by Australia’s special forces can reduce project risks across the defence budget while embracing more rapid technological change.

Space and national security

Space is an inherently ‘dual use’ – meaning space technologies have both military and civil/commercial application. CEO of the recent International Astronautical Congress Brett Biddington AM considers this dynamic on the development of a national space agency.