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.
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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. -
19 Aug 2022
The social media spectacle of China’s Taiwan military exercises
The whole world’s a stage when it comes to promoting the power behind the “one China” narrative. -
9 Aug 2022
When serious, careful US management of China–Taiwan policies … isn’t
The status quo in the Strait has changed. But is anyone really tuning in as the drama unfolds? -
5 Apr 2022
Of maritime security and a rules-based order
All good in theory, but the operational logistics of multinational cooperation at sea will take more than narratives. -
17 Sep 2021
China – a lonely superpower
Despite many countries having issues with the West, China has few obvious alliance candidates. -
30 Aug 2021
Sharpening deterrence
The language around the who, what and how of Australia’s defence strategy needs an overhaul. -
27 Aug 2021
Australia’s seaborne trade: Essential but undefendable
Recognising the limits to Australia’s military potential. -
22 Jul 2021
Bringing the grey zone into focus
Australia must be ready for China’s next move in the volatile game of statecraft brinkmanship. -
27 Nov 2020
Beijing’s line on the South China Sea: “Nothing to see here”
China’s official denials of growing military capability in the region look a lot like gaslighting. -
25 Sep 2019
The sharp sword: China and the drone threat to Australia
Combat drones could loiter over targets for hours longer than a crewed aircraft, posing a very different type of threat. -
2 Aug 2019
What China’s defence paper tells us about Beijing’s regional ambition
Threat perceptions dominate, as expected in a defence statement – but with wider goals to reshape security architecture. -
31 Jul 2019
China’s intelligence gathering ships change the equation
If not quite a return to the Cold War, there are operational consequences to China’s increasing naval capabilities. -
25 Jul 2019
China’s head-spinning defence white paper
The difference between how China sees the world and how the world sees China can lead to a seriously dizzying view. -
11 Feb 2019
China may only seek a limited naval role in the Indian Ocean
Many assume that China intends to replace American predominance in the Indian Ocean. But sea control seems unrealistic. -
11 Jul 2018
China’s expanding navy
The PLA-N is growing rapidly, raising problems for personnel and the integration of new capabilities into the service. -
1 Jun 2018
Has the PLA really overlooked its amphibious force?
Taiwan would be well advised to improve its defences and make itself a tough nut to crack. -
30 Mar 2018
Deterrence under the dragon’s shadow: Vietnam’s military modernisation
Vietnam has long sought to calibrate its defence posture in the shadows of great power competition. -
19 Feb 2018
China and the military balance
Is it only a matter of time before China replaces the US as the predominant military power in Asia? -
26 Oct 2017
The 19th Party Congress: A more assertive Chinese foreign policy
President Xi Jinping's vision should raise alarm bells in Asian and Western capitals. -
10 Jul 2017
Exercise Joint Sea 2017: A new step in Russo-Chinese naval cooperation?
The upcoming China-Russia naval exercise suggests an emerging alignment on China’s behaviour in the South China Sea and Russia’s approach to security in the Baltic. -
4 Jul 2017
China’s new warship and the strategic challenge to America
The Type 055 is one component of the Chinese drive to create aircraft-carrier task forces which are capable of regional and even global operations. -
23 May 2017
Countering China’s submarine operations in South Asia
If India does not move to protect its equities, South Asia could soon fall under the sway of China's rapidly expanding maritime power. -
7 Mar 2017
China's defence spending: What's behind the slowdown?
Beijing will continue to spend as appropriate on its defence, but at a level that won’t cause too much alarm and can't be used in ‘China threat’ rhetoric. -
2 Nov 2016
PLA Air Force unveils its pride and joy
Yesterday at the Zhuhai Air Show, China's air force officially unveiled its worst-kept secret, the J-20 stealth fighter.