Building the joint and integrated ADF goes to the heart of how we must position the ADF of the future. My aim is to provoke discussion by proposing that we need to shift gears on …
Since President Trump’s visit to Riyadh last month, the events that have played out on the ground in the Gulf have exposed long-standing rifts between powerful Sunni monarchies that belie the simplistic logic of sectarianism …
Provocative quotes from the Emir of Qatar that recently appeared on a Qatar government website have been attributed to a Russian cyber attack. The comments, which expressed support for Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim …
Labor has long held the view that a significant defence industry not only provides high end manufacturing jobs to Australians but also adds to our nation’s sovereign capability. It serves a strategic purpose. During the …
As a long-time amphibious capability advocate I welcome Andrew and Geoff’s piece but I think that it’s useful to distinguish between amphibious tactical operations, amphibious logistic support to land operations, and sea lift which requires …
As India and Australia become closer, one of the ideas binding them over the longer term is the new framing of their shared geography—the ‘Indo-Pacific’. When prime ministers Narendra Modi and Malcolm Turnbull met in …
The deadly attack on police outside a bus terminal in the Jakarta neighbourhood of Kampung Melayu last month was carried out by ‘fighters of the Islamic State’, according to the Amaq News Agency. Three police …
Sea State DARPA is looking for a way to improve US Navy capability by making it possible for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) to communicate underwater. DARPA thinks the answer might be AMEBA (A Mechanically Based …
President Obama’s ‘rebalance’ to Asia was officially pronounced dead in March this year. Susan Thorton, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, stated: ‘I think you can probably expect that this …
As a country’s power grows, it naturally seeks a greater global status and expands its influence overseas. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China’s means towards that end. Some analysts have even compared the …
Welcome to The Strategist Six, a feature which provides a glimpse into the thinking of prominent academics, government officials, military officers, reporters and interesting individuals from around the world. 1. What do you believe are China’s …
By interesting coincidence, Fear of Abandonment, an important book on the history of Australian foreign policy, appears 50 years after a book with which it has some interesting parallels. In 1967, Alan Watt published The Evolution …
President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has caused much discussion about China’s vision for engaging the world economically. In many ways, it can bring ‘win–win’ opportunities for China’s economic partners, but there’s also …
For the ADF to be a war winning force it must be fully integrated and accepting of cultural and gender differences, says Defence’s Vice Chief, Ray Griggs. Vice Admiral Griggs tells The Strategist the transformation …
A five-nation defence pact for which the peak ministerial council has met only 10 times in 46 years is a happy institution. Threats can’t be pressing and the military machinery must be running smoothly. …
An Asia that doubted the strength and commitment of the US pivot now confronts a new White House songbook. The tune is ‘America First’. The words are, ‘Let’s make a deal!’ And Asia can’t yet …
‘In this brave new world we cannot rely on great powers to safeguard our interests.’ Malcolm Turnbull, Singapore, June 2, 2017. Australia’s Prime Minister has given a big Asia speech that attacked China directly while …
The horror of the Manchester bombing runs along multiple planes. It wasn’t just that the attack, like that on popular al-Faqma ice-cream parlor in Baghdad’s Karada district one week later, callously targeted children. Two days …
The ‘America First’ pendulum has been in full swing this week, as the President returned from his time abroad to stamp on the progress made by the Paris climate agreement and ask the Supreme Court …
Welcome to The Strategist Six, a feature which provides a glimpse into the thinking of prominent academics, government officials, military officers, reporters and interesting individuals from around the world. 1. How concerned is Poland about the …