On 23 July 1916 the 1st Australian Division launched an operation that began Australia’s contribution to the great British offensive of that year, the Battle of the Somme. On that day, some three weeks after …
The recent award handed down by the Arbitral Tribunal through the Permanent Court of Arbitration undoubtedly favours the Philippines (PDF) and is unlikely to end Beijing’s assertive behaviour in the South China Sea. Beijing has …
Russia’s likely to be pleased with the outcomes of the NATO meeting in Warsaw and will certainly not regard their strategic position as weakened. Russia will welcome signs of discord and posturing within both NATO …
Starting as a geographer, Paul Dibb became one of Australia’s great strategists. The discipline of geography is vital to the Dibb understanding of power, strategy and defence planning. For Dibb, geography disciplines strategy in the same …
It was the week that US politics junkies had hung out for—the one where the Republican National Convention circus rolled up to Cleveland for the coronation of Donald J. Trump. While The Donald was finally …
After the Abbott government approved the purchase of 72 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the RAAF, its fast jet capability was locked in for years to come. From around 2020, the F-35s will join 24 …
July has been a busy month for North Korean diplomats, with another round of US sanctions, and confirmation that South Korea will deploy US THAAD anti-missile systems. The recent North Korean 7th Workers’ Party Congress …
I’d like to add a different perspective to the post on the limitations of intelligence that was offered by my colleague, John Coyne. I write as someone who worked at the Office of National Assessments …
The failed coup in Turkey has reminded us—as though a reminder was needed—of the once-inconceivable stability that the European Union has brought to Europe. But if the post-Brexit EU is to survive, it’ll need to …
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. How do you think Indonesia’s …
Any hopes that the swiftly-engineered coronation of Theresa May meant the Brits were going soft on Brexit have been squashed by the instant elevation of a trio of hardened eurosceptics—Boris Johnson, Liam Fox and David …
The Beat New report: rhino poaching and law enforcement Wildlife is a highly profitable commodity for transnational organised crime groups. Last week, The Global Initiative released a two-part report examining law enforcement responses to international …
The US Department of Defense’s third offset strategy has prompted much discussion since it was first announced in November 2014. The strategy, which has been allocated a US$18 billion budget, aims to ‘offset’ growing Chinese …
The findings of the South China Sea Arbitration conducted at The Hague refutes China claim of indisputable sovereignty, and invalidates the ‘nine-dash line’ as a mechanism to delineate that claim—a heavy defeat for China. As …
The heat of the Brexit result has given way to a cold dawn light revealing the enormity of the British decision. The nation is deeply divided, not just along traditional class lines, but between youth …
Yesterday’s appointment of Malcolm Turnbull’s new ministry has followed through with the commitment made in last year’s Cyber Security Strategy to create a ministerial position for cyber security. Dan Tehan from Victoria has added Minister …
The Maisky Diaries: Red Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s 1932-1943, edited by Gabriel Gorodetsky. Fitzroy MacLean’s superb autobiography, Eastern Approaches, is most famously recalled for his exploits in the Balkans, during the Second …
Early warnings and communication with at-risk communities before and during crises have been central to recent post-disaster evaluations in Australia. Effective risk communication ideally results from engagement with those communities before, during and after emergencies …
Despite having a range of classified and unclassified strategic level documents, an unprecedented capability modernisation program, and a strong record of operational success, the RAAF has lacked a coherent document that outlined where we are …
The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) proved fortunate in being spared the first day of fighting on 1 July, 1916 as the British Army attacked the Somme in northern France. That first day of the Somme …