Australia’s deteriorating strategic outlook raises the question under what conditions should we develop a nuclear weapon of our own? This option was seriously considered by Australian governments in the 1960s, and the Department of Defence …
Whether South Africa is teetering or slowly crumbling is moot. But one thing’s clear: the country faces a raft of intersecting crises that it is ill-equipped to solve. And the world’s inattention doesn’t mean it’s …
Has populism won? It would be easy to conclude that it has, especially in light of what is happening in the heart of Europe. Italy, one of the earliest supporters of European integration, is now …
The gender scorecard Women in International Security has released its gender scorecard for foreign policy and international security think tanks in Washington DC, which reveals a high disparity between male and female staff members. The …
There’s a problem at the core of the digital revolution: getting our heads around the nature of the challenge. The term ‘cyber’, in particular, has become associated with the dark side of security and technology. …
The training and intelligence support the ADF provided to help Philippine forces drive the Islamic State terror group out of the city of Marawi demonstrated how Australia can back its regional allies, says the new …
After two deferments and much scepticism, the maiden 2+2 meeting between India and the US was finally held in New Delhi last month. Elevating the erstwhile ‘strategic dialogue’, which involved the Indian foreign minister and …
At the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly last month, there was a widespread sense of foreboding among world leaders. The anxiety went beyond standard concerns about what US President Donald Trump would …
Sea state The Chinese government refused a port call request by USS Wasp in Hong Kong amid escalating tension between the two countries. The decision follows the cancellation of two high-level trade and military meetings …
Forty-five years after the last Australian troops came home from Indochina, the Royal Australian Air Force is flying Vietnamese peacekeepers to war-torn South Sudan. Early today one of RAAF’s giant C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft left …
Australia today sees its strategic interests in the South Pacific directly challenged by China. No longer is China given the benefit of the doubt as the rapidly expanding power coming to terms with its new …
Today is a public holiday in Canberra and across much of Australia. The Strategist will be back in action tomorrow.
Australia’s international security outlook is starting to look very unpredictable and potentially threatening. Australian defence planners must now deal with a world which is very different from any they have known before. America is undermining …
The world US President Donald Trump received an unexpected response during his address to the UN General Assembly: laughter. A more serious reaction in the Daily Beast dissects Trump’s rhetoric. Politico summarises the reactions of …
On a recent official visit to China, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad criticised his host country’s use of major infrastructure projects—and difficult-to-repay loans—to assert its influence over smaller countries. While Mahathir’s warnings in Beijing against …
Germany’s federal elections in September 2017 marked a turning point in the nation’s parliamentary history. A far-right extremist party entered the Bundestag for the first time since the end of World War II. Alternative für …
The number of years between Australian defence white papers (DWPs) has been shrinking. Between 1976 and 2009, it averaged a little over eight, which was similar to the average times between British and Canadian defence …
In this podcast our analysts discuss the debate around nuclear submarines for Australia, lessons learned from the US for an Australian cyber force, emerging biosecurity threats and how we can prepare for them and who’s …
The New York Times recently reported that US President Donald Trump’s administration had held meetings with rebellious Venezuelan military officers who were plotting to overthrow Nicolás Maduro’s government. In the end, US policymakers backed off …
The beat Police can’t track child sex offenders A lack of resources in NSW is making it harder for police to monitor child sex offenders. The Police Association of NSW says that in one month …