The repeated debate about tanks for the Australian Army has flared up once again. The Groundhog Day nature of this phenomenon would be amusing if there wasn’t so much at stake. I won’t rehash the …
Articles by: "Marcus Hellyer"
In my last post, I looked at the latest information on the life-of-type extension program for the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarines. That’s essentially Defence’s strategic risk mitigator for its long submarine transition. But it’s …
The Royal Australian Navy is in the early stages of a long transition that is notable for its strategic risk. Both its core surface and subsurface combat fleets are ageing but are planned to be …
Ulas Yildirim’s recent piece in The Strategist suggesting Australia develop the industrial capability to convert its abundant coal and natural gas reserves into liquid fuels to reduce its dependence on imports of the latter took …
Once again, the Australian government has delivered exactly the funding it promised in the 2016 defence white paper and 2020 defence strategic update (DSU). If the government was willing to recommit to the white paper’s …
The government’s 2020 defence strategic update provided refreshing clarity about Australia’s deteriorating strategic environment and the need for new military capabilities to address it. These include long-range strike capabilities to impose greater cost on potential …
In my previous article, I noted that because of the disruptive innovation occurring in Australia’s electricity sector, traditional generators are realising that their core assets have become stranded—they’re losing money and can’t be sold. I …
The 2021–22 budget was a ‘no surprises’ one for Defence. The government set out its plan in the 2016 white paper, reaffirmed it in last year’s defence strategic update and is now providing Defence with …
In my previous article, I looked at the transition that’s underway in Australia’s electricity sector, driven by technological innovation. The electrical grid is moving from one based on a small number of large, inflexible generators …
Disruptive innovation almost always takes the incumbent by surprise. Successful organisations are very often good at sustaining innovation (that is, incrementally improving their business model), but they’re generally unwilling to foster disruptive innovation, and are …
US President Joe Biden has sent Congress his requested budget for the 2022 fiscal year. Due to the timelines of a presidential transition year, there’s not a lot of detail yet, but there’s enough to …
Last year’s war between Azerbaijan and Armenia was short, sharp and decisive. By effectively employing precision guided weapons, the former rapidly forced the latter to capitulate and accede to its political demands. The conflict confirmed …