In the new cold war, Southeast Asia is becoming a contested zone where China, the US and its allies are fighting to sustain their access and influence. This matters deeply to Australia because the superpower …
The Strategist on: "North of 26° south"
During World War II, hushed voices in Nazi-occupied Europe shared the words, ‘The Americans are coming!’ At the time, it was a message of hope among many Europeans who felt utterly helpless. February marked the …
When Northern Territory supply chains that were already stressed by Covid-19-related delays were hit by massive flooding in January, it’s not surprising they buckled and broke. For nearly a month after acute flooding damaged railways …
Australia’s role in critical space domain awareness (SDA) is becoming a major mission for the defence force. Australia has long provided a ‘suitable piece of real estate’ as part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing community …
Extending beyond Australia’s 30,000 kilometres of coastline are millions of hectares of ‘sea country’, which encompasses the flora and fauna, beliefs and cultural practices of the many Indigenous groups that care for these areas. The …
The German Navy frigate Bayern is making its way home after its six-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific. Earlier this week, the Brandenburg-class ship made its last refuelling stop in Spain before heading to its home …
The strategic and capability judgements outlined in the Australian government’s 2020 defence strategic update have superseded the Defence Department’s last force posture review released in 2012. The expectation that the Australian Defence Force will be …
There are both far-reaching opportunities and new challenges for the Department of Defence, industry and local governments when it comes to maritime sustainment in Australia’s north. Traditional Defence and industry models used in Australia’s southern …
It seems we’ll be waiting until at least sometime in the first quarter of 2022 for the government to decide on the future of the Port of Darwin lease. In the meantime, the lost opportunities …
Since the late 1920s, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has been active in the development of northern Australia. Research over the years has ranged from tackling invasive plants like prickly pear to introducing …
In more normal times, when nuclear-powered submarines and multibillion-dollar contract cancellations didn’t dominate the news, plans to increase the US military presence operating out of Australia would be big news. It was swamped by the …
In the debate about what AUKUS is and what it might become, much has been made of the idea that in an era of heightened geopolitical competition, Australia possesses some of the Indo-Pacific’s most valuable …