Emmanuel Macron’s unexpected victory in the 2017 French presidential election, with 66% of the vote, made France seem, at least to some, a safe haven from the populism roiling European politics. His triumph came as …
Sea state The US Navy sent its guided-missile destroyer Stethem and cargo ship Cesar Chavez through the Taiwan Strait last Monday. This move follows the transit of guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell and supply vessel USNS …
The world had high hopes for the outcome of the second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi on 27 and 28 February. The possibility of a breakthrough …
This is the preface from ASPI’s Counterterrorism yearbook 2019, which was released today. The publication presents comprehensive analyses of the threat of terrorism in different states and regions, and how governments have responded to that …
If elected to government, the Labor Party says it will enhance Australia’s economic sovereignty and national security by creating a strategic merchant shipping fleet. As a first step, it will appoint a taskforce to guide …
Welcome to ‘The Strategist Six’, a feature that provides a glimpse into the thinking of prominent academics, government officials, military officers, reporters and interesting individuals from around the world. 1. As an American and German …
This essay is from ASPI’s election special, Agenda for change 2019: Strategic choices for the next government. The report contains 30 short essays by leading thinkers covering key strategic, defence and security challenges, and offers short- and …
The vast construct of the Indo-Pacific and the limited grouping of the Quad (the US, Japan, India and Australia) share a few significant traits. Both are attempts to define and direct the emerging regional power …
Just over 20 years ago, a letter from Australian prime minister John Howard to the president of Indonesia, B.J. Habibie, set in motion a chain of events that would lead to East Timor’s passage to …
After 12 days of heightened tension between India and Pakistan following the 14 February Pulwama attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, considerable hostilities broke out between the two countries. In the early morning of 26 February, Indian …
The world There were just a few major events causing hiccups around the world this week. To kick off, we saw major developments in the India–Pakistan confrontation. The New York Times has a great backgrounder …
Columnist Robert Gottliebsen’s frequent articles about the supposed deficiencies of our future combat aircraft and submarines and the implication that this has for our position in the region are often wildly inaccurate. Take the proposition …
A recent article in Nature concludes that the climate is changing faster than previously realised, placing the aspirational Paris Agreement limit of 1.5°C of warming at risk of being surpassed in a little over a …
This essay is from ASPI’s election special, Agenda for change 2019: Strategic choices for the next government. The report contains 30 short essays by leading thinkers covering key strategic, defence and security challenges, and offers short- and …
Australia used to be a net exporter of oil but today, we’re at the other end of the international fuel supply chain and this puts us at the mercy of events. We live in volatile …
The suicide bombing of a paramilitary convoy in Pulwama, Kashmir, two weeks ago killed 44 soldiers and spurred a series of events that threatens to spiral into a full-blown conflict between India and Pakistan. In …
The beat Police criticised over response to minors who join terror groups The case of ‘Islamic State bride’ Shamima Begum has raised interesting questions about the role and purpose of police in cases where minors …
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s comments in early January on reunification with Taiwan, which he categorised as unavoidable, certainly prompted vigorous discussion. Much of it has focused on the value of the strategic ambiguity surrounding the …
The recent revisiting on The Strategist of the arguments around taking the F-35 to sea cast my mind back to the bitter carrier debate of the 1970s and early 1980s. The current discussion certainly doesn’t …
In pre-dawn darkness on Tuesday, 12 Mirage 2000 fighter jets of the Indian Air Force, armed with Israeli precision guided munitions, took off from the Gwalior airbase in central India and hit the largest training …