Visiting senior US Space Force officials were on the money when they said Australia is a ‘pot of gold at the end of the rainbow’ for future space operations. Australian space launch providers like Gilmore …
The recent release of the US national defence strategy identifying China as the ‘pacing challenge’ and most consequential strategic competitor for decades to come further reinforces the need for thinking that clearly articulates Australia’s strategic …
Despite the inevitably heavy redactions, the Department of Defence’s brief for the incoming government makes for interesting reading, including its section on climate change. The briefing, released under freedom of information laws, acknowledges that Defence’s …
One of the significant challenges with commodity investments is knowing when to buy and sell. Some view such investments as a form of institutionalised gambling. However, an understanding of the market, and a firm plan …
Tensions have been rising in outer space in recent years, leading to a covert arms race and what some perceive as the brink of space warfare. Space-based technologies such as communications satellites are an integral …
The government’s announcement of a defence strategic review comes as no surprise. A review of Australia’s force posture was an election commitment it is now following through on. The work intends to build on the …
The release of the ‘Combined Space Operations Vision 2031’ in February marked an important milestone in the growing cooperation among space-faring nations. The aim of the CSpO initiative is to ‘[g]enerate and improve cooperation, coordination, …
The global energy system is undergoing a rapid and enduring shift with inescapable implications for militaries, including the Australian Defence Force. Electrification and the use of alternative liquid fuels are occurring at scale across the …
The establishment of defence space organisations among space-faring nations means they must explain their purpose and rationale alongside well-established branches of militaries. Three distinct camps have emerged in the attempt to characterise the role of …
During the 2020 Nagarno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani forces used expendable drones to target Armenia’s conventional forces and destroy their tanks, artillery and air-defence systems. The conflict provides a broad example of how a competent irregular or …
ASPI’s The geopolitics of climate and security in the Indo-Pacific is a sobering read that describes the international security implications of climate change in our region in 2035. In one description of a plausible future, …
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s recent announcement of a plan to increase the size of the Australian Defence Force to 80,000 uniformed personnel by 2040 reflects the step change that’s expected in Australia’s strategic outlook over …