Australia should be paying close attention to the imminent appearance of the Xian H-20 stealth bomber built by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China. The aircraft will greatly improve China’s ability to hit distant targets, …
Sea state A new law passed by China allows its coastguard to fire at foreign vessels within its waters, potentially setting the stage for armed clashes between China and nations that have competing claims in …
The most often quoted line of the ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu is that ‘supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting’. By that measure, the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Liberation …
A telecommunications company that operates in six Pacific island nations has reportedly received approaches from prospective buyers. This news has attracted considerable interest among security experts in Australia. Digicel was established by Irish businessman Denis …
US President Joe Biden’s first international crisis will likely be over the future of Taiwan. Beijing has been positioning for this outcome for months by steadily increasing military pressure against Taipei. The People’s Liberation Army …
In 1976, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Sergei Georgyevich Gorshkov published his exposition of Soviet maritime strategy under the title The sea power of the state. It was translated by United States …
Originally published 26 May 2020. There’s a big international weapons program that probably doesn’t pass the post-coronavirus pub test for supply chain security. As US President Donald Trump’s recently said, ‘It’s a certain fighter jet, …
Originally published 20 January 2020. It is disappointing that the Brits are doing the wrong thing on 5G, having not exhausted other possibilities. Instead they have doubled down on a flawed and outdated cybersecurity model …
Last month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a £16.5 billion (A$29 billion) increase in funding for the British Armed Forces, on top of an increase of 0.5% above inflation per year announced in the …
Australia’s 2020 defence strategic update describes a regional environment that will be more challenging for Australia and warns that the nation must be better prepared for the prospect of high-intensity conflict. Central to this calculus …
The tiny island state of Seychelles is rethinking its future in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the first democratic change in its ruling party in 43 years. Charting a new way forward for the …
The world has entered potentially the most dangerous days of Donald Trump’s presidency. The US president, who has refused to acknowledge his election loss, is in a trigger-happy position to ignite a foreign policy crisis …