1 day ago
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.
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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. -
12 Oct 2022
If Russia breaks the nuclear taboo
Would the use of a lower yield atomic weapon really prompt the same catastrophic logic of escalation? -
4 Oct 2022
Philippines’ subs: the AUKUS inspiration
Manila can make its mark in the Indo-Pacific by choosing its friends, and its maritime deterrents, strategically. -
28 Sep 2022
Buying the wrong submarine
Being able to sink ships doesn’t end a war. Australia should consider ballistic nuclear missile subs as an alternative. -
21 Sep 2022
Guterres whistles in the wind
Yes, “our planet is burning”, yet those leaders with the power to act are stubbornly guarding their own little patch. -
19 Sep 2022
Blue-sky thinking on the Defence Strategic Review
A broader view of security offers enormous potential benefits for Australia. -
13 Sep 2022
Has Southeast Asia warmed to AUKUS one year on?
The shock of surprise has faded and a new tone from new voices may ease some concerns. But objections remain. -
12 Sep 2022
AUKUS, one year on
Australians deserve the details of what nuclear-powered submarines mean – for national defence and identity alike. -
29 Aug 2022
Should democracies ever lie?
Is bending the truth sometimes necessary and justified in situations short of war? -
17 Aug 2022
Why can’t Beijing renounce force against Taiwan?
History, nationalism, the Party, deterrence and the military make for a heady mix. -
11 Aug 2022
Economic diplomacy: No free lunches for national security
New foreign investment rules, nuisance tariffs and supply chains are all under scrutiny by the Productivity Commission. -
29 Jul 2022
Can we please have a real debate on nuclear submarines?
It looks suspiciously as if a decision is already made, even with a promised 18-month investigation only half-way done. -
27 Jul 2022
The Quad needs a futures focus
A better – and public – understanding is needed of the cascading effects of regional challenges. -
27 Jul 2022
Semut: Australia’s secret war against the Japanese in Borneo
A reconstruction of incomplete archives reveals one of Australia’s most audacious independent special forces operations. -
27 Jul 2022
France can help Albanese fix AUKUS
Labor faces a dilemma over nuclear-powered subs and the non-proliferation regime. An old partner might offer an answer. -
26 Jul 2022
Answering China’s South China Sea flying safety challenge
A regional response can best manage risks, and the Five Power Defence Arrangement offers just the mechanism. -
25 Jul 2022
France-Australia: Moving beyond AUKUS
A change of PM has certainly helped, and the latest Lowy Poll suggests no enduring damage has been done to relations. -
30 Jun 2022
War fatigue in the West
The democratic world passed the compassion test for Ukraine. Now it faces the real challenge. -
6 Jun 2022
A flare up in China’s deliberate pattern of aggression
The intercept of an Australian patrol over the South China Sea escalates a “grey zone” conflict to a dangerous level. -
27 May 2022
Ukraine: The view from Warsaw
More than offering neighbourly support, Poland wants to ensure Russia suffers a strategic defeat. -
26 May 2022
“Black ships”, the Quad and space
Satellite technology underpins the attempt to tackle China’s illegal fishing. -
20 May 2022
A strategy for uncertain times
Is a case-by-case approach good enough for Australia to respond to the great and developing regional challenges? -
17 May 2022
What went wrong? How Morrison lost control of the khaki election
A government determined to make national security a central campaign issue fell into the trap of fighting the last war. -
17 May 2022
AUKUS: More than meets the eye
A series of small, overlapping initiatives are combining to bolster the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific. -
10 May 2022
Chinese bases in the Pacific: A reality check
Frustrating Beijing’s ambitions to create a sphere of influence is overwhelmingly a diplomatic task, not a military one. -
22 Apr 2022
Does commemorating war really promote peace?
Contrary to popular belief, reminiscing on past sacrifices actually increases the perceived value of future combat. -
21 Apr 2022
Solomons security pact: Sogavare, China, and Australia
There is no shutting China out of the South Pacific, but if Australia gets real on climate the game will truly change. -
14 Apr 2022
Australian cyber: What’s “Redspice” for?
Canberra should explain why Australia needs a larger offensive cyber capability and how it will be used. -
6 Apr 2022
Protecting law and order at sea means educating people on their rights
Broad understanding about the need to balance and compromise interests will strengthen the system of international law. -
4 Apr 2022
Cause and effect: The right security architecture for the Indo-Pacific
Limitations in the established rules and forums have led the region to innovate. -
4 Apr 2022
AUKUS can be a good platform for cooperation with India
And it wouldn’t be the first time the partners had worked together, either. -
31 Mar 2022
Order at sea: Southeast Asia’s maritime security
Regional capacity building and the maintenance of good order in its waters are vital for the region’s ongoing stability.