In 2019, Russia employed an intelligence-gathering satellite to make a close approach—known as a rendezvous and proximity operation, or RPO—with a US spy satellite. The incident lasted for several days as Russia’s Cosmos 2542 released …
Articles by: "Malcolm Davis"
Australia’s new F-35A joint strike fighters deliver tactical advantages in air combat bestowed by stealth, systems integration and data fusion. Yet, as advanced as it is, the fleet we’re acquiring doesn’t address two key deficiencies …
The evolving debate in the US about the future of the F-35A joint strike fighter may open up new opportunities for the Royal Australian Air Force to take a radically different direction in its future …
I attended the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide in October 2017 and sat in on a presentation on the future of humanity in space by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. He was talking about a large …
There’s rising concern about the prospect of a major military crisis erupting across the Taiwan Strait as a result of China’s intention to force Taiwan to unify with the mainland. President Xi Jinping suggested in …
Following the release of the 2020 strategic update and force structure plan, Australia’s defence organisation is taking some important steps forward in how it approaches the prospect of military operations in space. There’s now a …
‘The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.’ — Edward Gibbon, The history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, 1776 In 1997, when I was a young …
A historic first meeting of the leaders of the countries of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue took place last month, albeit via video link, when Prime Minister Scott Morrison, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister …
China’s annual national political gatherings, known as the two sessions (‘lianghui’ (两会)), held earlier this month in Beijing, have drawn attention across the international community, in part due to China’s growing military and technological power. …
The successful first flight of Boeing Australia’s ‘loyal wingman’ uncrewed aircraft opens up a new path for the Royal Australian Air Force as it moves into its second century. The drone is part of the …
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 …