After 40 years of reform experimentation that has seriously weakened the Australian Defence Force, it’s time for the government to bring the defence bureaucracy back onto the rails. Australians are becoming increasingly anxious about Australia’s …
The Strategist on: "Defence strategic review"
The 2023 defence strategic review has been broadly welcomed across the Australian strategic policy commentariat. The reasons for that, and the analysis of what it means, however, are oddly diverse. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence …
Australia is planning to acquire a remarkable variety of strike missiles—weapons designed to hit distant surface targets. They will differ in capabilities and will variously be carried by aircraft, ships and trucks. Despite the differences, …
We tend to look for winners and losers in any Australian government announcement, and the defence strategic review (DSR) is no exception. Reading the headlines about the two-thirds reduction in infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and …
The defence strategic review has identified a glaring gap in Australian Defence Force capability—the almost complete absence of any form of long-range layered integrated air and missile defence (IAMD). The long-held assumption that Australia is …
The defence strategic review marks a pivotal shift in Australia’s approach to defence doctrine and strategy, placing a significant emphasis on deterrence. As the government moves to develop a national defence strategy next year, a …
When examining the public version of the defence strategic review, it’s important to remember that it’s an unclassified version of a classified document and we’re not seeing the full picture. The review comments on the …
On page 27 of National defence, the report of the defence strategic review, is a map of Australia’s strategic geography. It superbly situates us and perfectly explains why a power in the distant reaches of …
The defence strategic review highlighted the need for the Royal Australian Navy to have two levels of surface combatants to provide ‘increased strike, air defence, presence operations and anti-submarine warfare’. While the DSR doesn’t directly …
The recent unclassified version of the defence strategic review (DSR) highlights Australia’s focus on acquiring cutting-edge technology for its military. Acquiring expensive, complex fighting systems is essential to ensure Australian forces are not technologically outmatched …
The 2023 defence strategic review (DSR) has moved space further into the mainstream as a key element of a more integrated force. With the prominence given space in the 2020 defence strategic update reinforced by the …
The recent defence strategic review has much to recommend it. Even the publicly released unclassified version is the boldest statement of Australian strategic policy in many decades. But it is not without flaws. The chapter …