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11 Jun 2021
Australia should steer the US off a values-based Indo-Pacific strategy
Rallying the world’s democracies to check China’s power can only unite a narrow coalition in the region. -
18 May 2021
Long-ago battle in Solomon Islands keeps claiming lives
Locals should not be forced to live in fear of the hidden menace still posed by explosive wartime remnants. -
19 Apr 2021
No surprise: Spying from space is a good thing
With countries all watching each other, there is less chance anyone is caught off guard – a deterrent to aggression. -
14 Apr 2021
The Quad’s uneasy place in Southeast Asia
The region will need assurance to overcome scepticism about the Quad and assuage a deep-seated fear of upsetting China. -
12 Apr 2021
The Quad (finally) delivers: Can it be sustained?
The future of the grouping might well be determined by China’s behaviour. -
19 Mar 2021
The Mozambique Channel is the next security hotspot
An Islamist insurgency is spilling danger into a major shipping lane, and countries must decide who they want to fix it. -
17 Mar 2021
Aggressive sea control isn’t an option for India’s navy
Be assertive close to home. But India should not shrink from distant waters, either. -
16 Mar 2021
The Quad gives a boost to India’s vaccine diplomacy
Countering China’s influence is one thing. But fostering regional cooperation plays to the strengths of the grouping. -
15 Mar 2021
A new “concert” to govern the Indo-Pacific
For Quad leaders emphasising an “inclusive” region, there may be a ready-made example for involving China. -
15 Mar 2021
Russia wants to be a power to be reckoned with in the Indian Ocean
No public strategy is defined, but a list of Moscow’s military and paramilitary activity in the region is revealing. -
10 Mar 2021
Sea denial is not enough: An Australian and Indian perspective
Debates over naval policy need to be mounted with a full understanding of just what a nation needs to do at sea. -
2 Mar 2021
Agalega: A glimpse of India’s remote island military base
Satellite imagery reveals the transformation of an Indian Ocean island into a strategic outpost. Many questions remain. -
1 Mar 2021
How far would Australia go in defence of the rules-based order?
The way the defence force is structured and the weapons deployed sends a message beyond the words. -
26 Feb 2021
India must be realistic about Russia relations
New Delhi can talk up ties all it likes, but Moscow’s eyes are also looking east – to Beijing. -
25 Feb 2021
Australia’s silence on Chagos dispute doesn’t help
Ensuring a consistent approach to the “rules” would make it that much harder for China to break them. -
24 Feb 2021
What are China’s leaders saying about the South China Sea?
The rhetoric weaves between cooperative and competitive, leaving the question of what – and who – to believe. -
23 Feb 2021
Democracy vs autocracy: Biden’s “inflection point”
If this really is a new Cold War, it’s off to a slow start. -
15 Feb 2021
The power of example: America’s presence in Diego Garcia
US claims to upholding the rules-based order don’t square with its silence on Mauritian sovereignty in the Chagos. -
12 Feb 2021
Scottish independence and the implications for British defence
Breaking away from the UK would bring up some thorny issues – like what to do with nukes. -
12 Feb 2021
CCP governance comes to the South China Sea
Focusing exclusively on China’s use of coercion across the region obscures the true extent of Beijing’s ambitions. -
9 Feb 2021
India should prioritise a denial strategy in the Indian Ocean
The stand-off with China in the Himalayas has raised a broader debate about India’s strategic outlook. -
4 Feb 2021
The Donbass conflict: Waiting for escalation
The forgotten war involving Ukraine and Russia in the energy-rich region is simmering still. -
27 Jan 2021
Re-evaluating the military’s role in disaster response
“Sustainable security” should be a mantra for a reformed military in a pandemic age. -
13 Jan 2021
Why North Korea wants an arms control deal with the United States
Arms control might sound more appealing than tried-and-failed denuclearisation agreements – but it carries costs, too. -
16 Dec 2020
Russia and China team up on the Indian Ocean
The US and its allies may have military dominance in the region, but it’s no guarantee of influence. -
11 Dec 2020
Joe Biden’s Pentagon pick sends a message
The choice of Lloyd Austin as Defense Secretary singles out someone who could help end America’s “forever wars”. -
9 Dec 2020
A reckoning for Thailand’s indigenous defence industry
The Covid pandemic forced into action long-held plans to remodel defence procurement, but it’s a big challenge. -
7 Dec 2020
The Afghan inquiry and the question of responsibility
Agitating for a big scalp only distracts from reflecting on what the Brereton report actually uncovered. -
30 Nov 2020
Russia’s red star in the Red Sea
A naval facility in Port Sudan signals a new thrust of Russian operations in the Indo-Pacific. -
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. -
23 Nov 2020
The submarine capability gap
The life-of-type extension project is a major, complex and high-risk undertaking of critical importance. -
20 Nov 2020
Australia’s mission in Afghanistan – what was it again?
Nothing can reduce the responsibility of individuals. But the political context for a “forever war” is relevant, too. -
13 Nov 2020
The evolving threat from chemical weapons
Emerging technologies pose new challenges to the already fragile norms of chemical weapons control. -
12 Nov 2020
Japan-Australia: The chance to sweeten the deal
Scott Morrison’s trip to Tokyo should move beyond a narrow focus on defence to secure the living environment. -
4 Nov 2020
Is China speeding up military modernisation? It may, but not yet
A new communique was quickly read as a signal Beijing was shifting forward its 2035 target but the evidence isn’t there. -
29 Oct 2020
Western Indian Ocean: Where trouble on land spells danger at sea
Piracy and smuggling are already a menace. Add a budding Islamist insurgency, and far-reaching implications may follow. -
28 Oct 2020
Rebirth of the quadrilateral Malabar: Promises and portents for India
The inclusion of Australia in the 2020 Exercise Malabar signals India’s resolve to defend its interests in the region. -
13 Oct 2020
A third aircraft carrier for India: Budget versus necessity
Concerns about cost overruns should be kept in perspective. The need for naval power projection is only growing. -
6 Oct 2020
Stepping past the fatalism trap
If Australia wants to shape rather than be shaped by a fast-changing world, creative diplomacy is essential. -
27 Aug 2020
Indo-Pacific strategy: Before justifying the means, identify the ends
Facing uncertainty of where “strategic competition” is headed, first look for the ideal outcome. -
20 Aug 2020
Australia doesn’t need to choose between guns and butter
The country’s options in defence, aid and diplomacy are not as financially constrained as might be feared. -
20 Aug 2020
Australia and Sri Lanka: Air connectivity in the Indian Ocean region
The success of the two countries’ naval cooperation shows the potential for expanded partnership. -
14 Aug 2020
Diego Garcia: The US has a clear choice
The Mauritian ambassador to the UN on recognising the country’s sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. -
7 Aug 2020
A Chinese-built airport next door to a key Australia-US naval base?
Manus Island is a vital strategic location. Why is a Chinese company being paid to upgrade its airfield? -
6 Aug 2020
A force to combat climate change?
The summer bushfires put Australia to the test. They also had future implications for the New Zealand Defence Force. -
21 Jul 2020
India, Australia and containing the China challenge
Joint war games in the Indian Ocean are not symbolic – and the message isn’t lost on Beijing. -
20 Jul 2020
Hidden gems in the 2020 Force Structure Plan
Defence’s $270 billion shopping list has some surprising inclusions. -
15 Jul 2020
Twisting India’s Chicken’s Neck
The Siliguri Corridor in north-eastern India poses a major defence challenge. -
14 Jul 2020
A high-risk, low-reward defence posture
What exactly does Australia showing “willingness” to use force look like? And where does it lead?