The government has made its long-awaited decision on the first phase of LAND 400, Defence’s megaproject to acquire new armoured combat vehicles. And the even bigger decision on the future frigate is likely soon …
Sea state The UK is set to ‘assert freedom of navigation rights’ in the South China Sea by sailing HMS Sutherland through the disputed waters during drills next month as it makes its way home …
Following Richard Menhinick’s post about Australia needing a more potent and lethal navy, it’s worth thinking about why we have a navy and what role it would play in a regional conflict. From my reading, …
Originally published 26 October 2017. This post is adapted from a presentation to the Australian Naval Institute’s 2017 Goldrick seminar. Let me start with something nice and uncontroversial. Submarines might be obsolete by the middle …
The organisational reforms to defence acquisition that followed the First Principles Review were extensive. Cassandras that we are, at the time we worried about the risk of a ‘perfect storm’ of deteriorating external strategic circumstances, …
Based on the volume of media coverage, the casual observer might be forgiven for thinking that Australia’s planned build-up of defence capital equipment has more to do with jobs and growth than national security. Yet, …
The German shipbuilder Lürssen Werft has been selected to design and oversee the building of the Australian Navy’s 12 new offshore patrol vessels. But in a move that has startled some in the industry, the …
The government is expected to announce soon the successful bidder for Project SEA 1180, to replace the 13 Armidale-class patrol boats with 12 larger offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) to fulfil the maritime constabulary role, with …
Sea state The Australian government has brought forward the decision on upgrading the RAN’s anti-ship missile defences due to regional volatility. The RAN will upgrade the Nulka active missile decoy system on the Anzac-class frigates …
In the past 15 years, I’ve had the privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder with Australian soldiers in a maelstrom of combat through Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. Invariably my ADF colleagues have been brave, highly …
This post is adapted from a presentation to the Australian Naval Institute’s 2017 Goldrick seminar. Let me start with something nice and uncontroversial. Submarines might be obsolete by the middle of the century. It’s possible …
The ADF’s SEA 5000 ‘Future Frigate’ program faces two important but distinct challenges. The first concerns capability: the plan is to build a new class of warships to replace the Anzac class from the mid-2020s, …