In the last few weeks, we’ve seen some impressive photographs and the naming ceremony of the first of the 27,000 tonne Canberra class landing helicopter docks (LHDs) coming together in the BAE shipyards in Williamstown. …
The end of amphibious operations has been prophesised at various times during the past century. After the Gallipoli experience in 1915, many military thinkers in Britain and elsewhere believed that airpower, modern artillery, machines guns, …
The Australian and Japanese prime ministers met virtually on 6 January and signed a reciprocal access agreement (RAA) that makes it easier for each nation’s troops to operate in each other’s country. As important, it …
During Indonesia’s two-year stint on the United Nation’s Security Council (2019–2020), the country made significant gains not just in promoting peacekeeping operations but in augmenting the role of female peacekeepers with the passing of Indonesian-sponsored …
At first glance, given their geographic distance, there seems little pushing France and Indonesia closer together. But from Paris’s perspective, the French territories in the region and the fact that 93% of France’s exclusive economic …
As tensions rise over China’s recent aggressive air patrolling across the Taiwan Strait, and concern mounts that Beijing may stage a provocation to coerce Taipei and test the mettle of President Joe Biden and his …
There are growing signs that a military crisis could erupt across the Taiwan Strait this year as China flexes its military muscle to strongarm Taipei into accepting unification. ASPI’s Peter Jennings notes that Beijing is …
Australia has a history of importing key military platforms from the United States—examples include the F-35A Lightning II, F/A-18F Super Hornet, P-8A Poseidon and M1A1 Abrams tank. But there are now several near-term opportunities for …
Welcome to ‘China military watch’, a new monthly feature in The Strategist from ASPI’s defence analysts examining developments in Chinese military affairs. ‘Mighty Dragon’ enters mass production China has announced the beginning of mass production …
Australia can acquire extra maritime capability quickly and affordably while promoting local industry and the government’s continuous naval shipbuilding plan. My new ASPI report, From concentrated vulnerability to distributed lethality—or how to get more maritime …
Kiwis are renowned for being flightless, but they may soon be equally well known for their agility in the water, based on the plethora of documents released by the New Zealand government on both the …
Sea state China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, known as the Type 001A, has sailed into the South China Sea. The Chinese navy says the vessel is there to conduct ‘scientific tests and routine drills’. …