Successive attempts to reform the Australian Defence establishment over the past century have done little to improve processes, says former defence minister Linda Reynolds. ‘They’re a bit like herds of elephants sweeping across Defence and …
Articles by: "Brendan Nicholson"
In September 2014, a RAAF E-7A Wedgetail early warning and control aircraft arrived in the Middle East to join the war against the Islamic State terror group. Soon after its crew set off on a …
A year after being appointed chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond admits to frustration when he’s asked why Australia needs a potent navy. ‘I wish that we were in a different …
A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail early warning aircraft will use its highly effective radar system to search for missiles launched from hundreds of kilometers inside Russia and Belarus as it watches over Ukraine’s …
Christopher Pyne remembers well his dismay at the closure of the car industry in South Australia and his fear that it would have a serious impact on the nation’s skills base. ‘I thought to myself, …
Former Australian defence minister Christoper Pyne has compared the experience of dealing with US President Donald Trump’s administration to watching the supernatural horror film The Conjuring. In the frankest assessment yet by an Australian cabinet …
Australia’s most senior military officer has warned that the nation faces complex and interwoven threats including high-end military capabilities, economic coercion, climate change and AI-driven dangers to democracy in a post-truth world. In his address …
Kevin Andrews remembers well his concern when, as defence minister, he was briefed on developments that signalled a major turning point in Australia’s relationship with China. When Xi Jinping stood on the White House lawn …
Investigating allegations that Australian soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan is ‘utterly critical’ to the nation regaining moral authority at home and with its allies, says Australian Defence Force chief Angus Campbell. ‘And not just …
Strong diplomacy is crucial to avoid conflict, and the Australian Defence Force must operate within an envelope created and expanded by the nation’s diplomatic efforts, says ADF chief Angus Campbell. Failure of this key element …
Former defence minister David Johnston attended the funerals of 26 of the 41 Australians killed on operations in Afghanistan, and he saw at close hand their families’ grief. ‘Then you understand that the application of …
As the government prepares to introduce legislation into parliament for an Australia-wide ban on Nazi symbols, it’s timely to revisit the extensive coverage of this issue in ASPI’s Counterterrorism yearbook 2022. The yearbook placed the …