18 May 2023
Remembering Australia’s “other” alliance
New Zealand has dropped off the radar in modern strategic discussions despite the long history of trans-Tasman ties.
-
-
12 May 2023
Australia’s future security: Where the Defence Strategic Review falls short
An integrated National Security Strategy could consider all the tools of statecraft rather than a defensive mindset. -
5 May 2023
Japan’s Article 9: Pacifism and protests as defence budget doubles
In the rush to applaud increased military ties between Japan and Australia, resistance to the idea is often overlooked. -
4 May 2023
The case for opening the ADF to citizens of Pacific Islands nations
The potential benefits in a contested region extend far beyond a military need. -
1 May 2023
AUKUS + NZ = win-win
New Zealand can make creative contributions to the technology sides of the partnership – and greatly benefit, too. -
28 Apr 2023
Marcos has turned the Philippines towards America – not without risks
An expanded US military presence will benefit efforts to stand up to China. But Filipinos are wary of the social cost. -
24 Apr 2023
Defence Review: DFAT gets a boost
For the first time, a major Defence policy statement recommends more diplomatic funding. -
24 Apr 2023
Defence Strategic Review: Strong chords, with one jarring note
A promising strategy, but is there tension with AUKUS? -
21 Apr 2023
Strategic divergence with Indonesia: an Australian perspective
Despite expected differences with Indonesia, Australia also underplays how fast its regional approach has changed in just a decade. -
20 Apr 2023
Embracing the different ways Indonesia and Australia view the region
It would be a mistake to assume enhanced defence cooperation means the two countries share a strategic outlook. -
17 Apr 2023
AUKUS: What to do with nuclear waste?
Only by investing in community consent – “social licence” – can the government be certain about long-term storage plans. -
14 Apr 2023
No Albo at NATO, no worries
Australia’s diplomatic effort has been in overdrive. That doesn’t change by not sending a minister to Vilnius. -
6 Apr 2023
What “Utopia” got wrong about China and defence policy
If Australia didn’t have a Defence Force, would China have turned to force rather than economic coercion? -
6 Apr 2023
China is its own worst enemy
Xi’s belligerence prompts classic balancing, an alignment among smaller states that would alone struggle to compete. -
3 Apr 2023
What the Quad could learn from AUKUS
If the four powers decide to adopt a greater security role, they should go beyond empty signals. -
28 Mar 2023
The economics of AUKUS
A formal cost-benefit analysis wouldn’t go astray to help understand the benefits had a different decision been made. -
27 Mar 2023
Philippines: The best friend for AUKUS in Southeast Asia
Manila has stood apart on Australia’s nuclear-powered subs deal as a sympathetic democracy seeking to balance China. -
22 Mar 2023
AUKUS commits Australia to fight China if America does, simple
Whatever the flag, Washington would not sell nuclear-powered boats unless it could count on them in war over Taiwan. -
21 Mar 2023
Could Indonesia legally stop transit by nuclear-powered AUKUS subs?
International law includes passage rights for all vessels in archipelagic waters – during peace or wartime. -
20 Mar 2023
Australia, China, AUKUS and the squandered advantage
Canberra appears to have overlooked the tyranny of distance as its chief asset in regional military deterrence. -
20 Mar 2023
AUKUS in the Pacific: Calm with undercurrents
Pacific neighbours understand the drivers behind Australia’s bid for nuclear-powered subs, but still harbour concerns. -
17 Mar 2023
AUKUS: The pillars of Hercules
Wishful thinking will not make the world more benign. Ambition carries a cost, but Australia has a responsibility, too. -
17 Mar 2023
The limits on Australia’s submarine industry
Long before the last boat is delivered, the business will be winding down. -
14 Mar 2023
AUKUS: Many questions, revealing answers
What Lowy Institute’s analysts have so far made of the nuclear-powered submarine announcement. -
13 Mar 2023
The Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier dilemma
Seen as a vital asset to maritime strategy, large “supercarriers” are nonetheless very expensive. -
10 Mar 2023
AUKUS: Asking a veteran submariner what to think
What are the big issues still lurking beneath the surface of the AUKUS debate? -
2 Mar 2023
AUKUS and intellectual property
In an era of economic entanglement, IP theft has the potential to threaten democracy. Governments need to be vigilant. -
17 Feb 2023
Indonesia’s own subs conundrum
A stalled deal with South Korea means both countries must overcome defence cooperation challenges to look to the future. -
15 Feb 2023
Reset in US–Philippines relations tells of yet another China fumble
The 180-degree reversal in Manila’s foreign policy was a consequent evolution of the previous regime’ approach. -
13 Feb 2023
Ukraine needs tanks – Australia should send some
The war is entering a new phase and our support needs to keep pace with developments on the ground. -
9 Feb 2023
With caution and tact: How Asian countries voted on Ukraine at the UN
A resolution forces nations to show their hand. After Russia’s invasion, consistency has not been to everyone’s liking. -
6 Feb 2023
A Chinese invasion of Taiwan isn’t inevitable
The logistics pose a momentous challenge. And more so, Xi Jinping knows a war will entail enormous costs. -
2 Feb 2023
France-Australia: Salving the wounds of AUKUS
After the crisis over the subs deal, both countries stand to benefit from a normalisation of ties. -
1 Feb 2023
Marles torpedoes French subs, but is yet to explain nuclear advantage
For such a high-stakes and expensive enterprise the public deserves to know not just what boats we’re getting, but why. -
31 Jan 2023
Australia’s return to must-win wars
The future is not the past. Australia needs to reset its strategic thinking and plan to win the wars it fights. -
23 Dec 2022
How to Interpret 2022: Russia invades Ukraine
Vladimir Putin seemed convinced Kyiv would fall in days. We look back at ten months of war. -
22 Dec 2022
The Interpreter 2022: Your most-read articles
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominated the year. But readers also wanted to know all about Southeast Asia’s elections. -
19 Dec 2022
A focused direction for the Quad
Doubling-down on existing initiatives – rather than new goals – will see the grouping deliver tangible public goods. -
14 Dec 2022
It’s complicated: psychology and national security decisions
Thinking about the plethora of security threats all at once is hard – which can increase the risk of bias intruding. -
9 Dec 2022
US-Australia alliance: beyond sentiment
Of supporters or sceptics alike, new research shows most Australians view the alliance via a cost-benefit analysis. -
8 Dec 2022
AUSMIN: the submarine conundrum
It’s a big challenge to manage the ambition for nuclear-powered subs and still juggle other crucial defence decisions. -
8 Dec 2022
We need to talk about war decisions
Australia has just embarked on a parliamentary inquiry into how it makes choices about when and why it goes to war. -
30 Nov 2022
Supporting the kind of region we want
In tougher strategic times, ASEAN stands as a crucial forum to ensure competition doesn’t tip into confrontation. -
24 Nov 2022
Defence and development reviews: bringing parallel tracks together
A cultural change in the way Australia’s approach to the world is formulated and prosecuted. -
22 Nov 2022
India’s military: a tech leap risks a nuclear chasm
India’s conventional military modernisation means grappling with the accelerated danger of nuclear miscalculation. -
17 Nov 2022
Putting a stop to destructive anti-satellite weapons tests
Australia is helping bolster an emerging global norm that will secure space for the benefit of all. -
7 Nov 2022
Australia and B‑21 bombers: less bang for the buck
It’s an expensive habit to think about the military not as a practical tool but as a symbol of strategic intent. -
4 Nov 2022
The real message B‑52s send from northern Australia
Given distances and demands on crew and aircraft, a US bomber fleet near Darwin amounts to only modest change. -
2 Nov 2022
B-52 bombers only part of a very long Australian story
A revamp of RAAF Tindal for the nuclear-capable aircraft creates opportunities well beyond military confidence building. -
25 Oct 2022
Australia’s shared security in the Indian Ocean
As two littoral states with significant sway, Australia and India can act as a conduit to link regional groupings.