China’s expanding presence beyond the first island chain is most likely to generate incidents, friction and escalation risks not through deliberate aggression but through growing operational proximity. As Chinese military, paramilitary and law-enforcement activity becomes …
A major strategic shift in the Indo-Pacific is happening quietly: China’s presence in seas and ports far from its coast is becoming routine. The frequency of its appearances has been rising for about a decade. …
Washington and Manila have moved from intent to design, announcing plans for a 4,000-acre (16 square km) economic security zone to anchor allied supply chains in the Philippines. That move should inspire Australia’s approach to …
China and Iran have gradually deepened research ties in dual-use and emerging technologies over the past 15 years, the latest update to ASPI’s China Defence Universities Tracker (CDUT) shows. The scale of this collaboration is …
China’s defence and security presence beyond the Western Pacific is set to intensify over the next decade, expanding its access, influence and operational reach across the Indo-Pacific. In the Southwest Pacific, Beijing is likely to …
Northern Australia will decide whether Australia will sustain combat power where it matters most or fail to do so before tempo can be maintained. Policy has settled on the importance of geography. Execution will determine …
The world is a more dangerous place than it was two years ago. The priorities outlined in Australia’s new National Defence Strategy (NDS) and its accompanying spending plan, the Integrated Investment Program (IIP), reflect this. …
Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) program is a spending priority in the 2026 National Defence Strategy (NDS) and the accompanying spending plan, the Integrated Investment Program (IIP). Both offer signs of progress and …
China may claim neutrality and call for peace in the Middle East, but it is heavily invested in the Iran conflict. Perhaps because of its dependence on Iran for energy security, it is transferring dual-use …
Australia’s 2026 National Defence Strategy (NDS) marks a quiet but consequential shift from its predecessor, fundamentally redefining the political objective underpinning the Australian Defence Force’s five key tasks. While the 2024 strategy focused on maintaining …
Revisions to defence export controls adopted by Japan’s cabinet today demonstrate the urgency with which Tokyo is shaking up its post-war defence settings in the face of increasing international insecurity. This is good news for …
We may be living in an increasingly dangerous world, as Australia’s 16 April National Defence Strategy reaffirmed, but at least there is now more rigour and regularity in designing defence policy. In releasing the first …
