Several weeks ago on The Strategist, I discussed why Colombia’s 51-year-old battle against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) may come to an end on 23 March 2016. But as negotiations march towards a …
Consider what the Howard government could know and ask in 2002 and early 2003 before committing to the blunder that is the Iraq war. No 20/20 hindsight. No fatuous effort to blame Australia for the …
Last Friday’s terrorist attacks in the City of Light made headlines across the world this week, from the unfolding of the tragedy to the demise of its orchestrator. Jihadology has released a podcast interview with Timothy Holman on …
The Harel Brigade memorial sits atop Radar Hill (now known as Har Adar) on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The memorial’s tower affords a coastal panorama that takes in Gaza to the south and carries on …
While the blood has only recently been washed from the streets of Paris, where jihadists affiliated with ISIS killed at least 129 innocent civilians on 13 November, the attacks are already having an impact on …
In design and execution, the Paris terrorist attacks pose a fundamental question of identity and belief. This is random butchery for a reason, indiscriminate horror for a purpose. Only one positive thought can be offered …
The Beat Private and public sectors meet to counter terrorism financing Indonesian and Australian officials met with experts in Sydney this week for the first regional counterterrorism financing summit. The summit, attended by French Consul …
It’s puzzling that mixed messages appear to be the new preferred means of signaling our strategic intent. And it’s even more puzzling that the Australian government, grappling with the delivery of a new Defence White …
The Government has a clear strategy for achieving a productive, cost-competitive and sustainable naval shipbuilding industry. We also know that Australia cannot afford a naval shipbuilding industry at any price. A reshaping and reform of …
Conflict and instability in the Middle East have dominated the news for quite a few years now, with the Arab Spring and the unfolding human tragedy in Syria ranking as two of the most significant …
The 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed US Congress last week and has interesting implications for US cybersecurity policy. The NDAA instructs US Cyber Command to undertake cyber ‘war games’ to ensure the nation’s …
In a quiet but undoubtedly significant event, Admiral Wu Shengli (吴胜利), commander of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and a member of the PRC’s Central Military Commission recently visited Malaysia with an entourage of 10 …
Australia and Japan have been moving closer on security matters since the mid 2000s. The first ministerial Trilateral Strategic Dialogue between the two countries and the United States was held in 2006, and a Joint …
In yesterday’s edition of The Australian, counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen implored us to examine ‘the military-style ‘urban guerrilla’ and ‘urban siege’ tactics’ used in the Paris attacks. While the full picture of the pre-operational component …
Sea State Much like the plot of a knock-off Bond movie, Russia made global headlines last week when a state-run TV station ‘accidentally’ revealed concept designs for a top secret nuclear torpedo. The footage was …
The third paper in our Capability Snapshot series was released today. (The fourth, looking at the ADF’s C4ISR networks and capability, will come out next year as part of a larger piece of work.) In …
In 2013-14 for the first time China ($27.7 billion) was the largest source country for approved proposed foreign investment in Australia, overtaking the US ($17.5 billion). Also for the first time, Chinese private sector investment …
As the French authorities attempt to gather a complete picture of the tragic events in Paris last Friday that led to the deaths of at least 129 people, and more than 350 injured, there’s little …
At the beginning of this month, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) officially unveiled its new unmanned surface vehicle (USV), the Venus 16. The vessel is 16m long and 5m wide, has a maximum speed …
Summit season blossoms. Behold the annual display of the shift of Australian international policy—in symbolism and substance—to the personal care of the Prime Minister. The structure and style of the way Australia does foreign policy …