A new approach to defence industrial policy

When policymakers discuss the AUKUS partnership, they like to focus on the flashy bits: nuclear submarines, hypersonic missiles, artificial intelligence. Politicians of all stripes can rarely resist the temptation. But beneath the surface are a …

Australia’s disappeared surface combatant fleet

As Australia awarded itself an ill-thought-out peace dividend at the end of the Cold War, the impact fell hardest on the Navy’s surface combatant fleet. Arguably no element was thought through more thoroughly for the …

Shipping oil through troubled waters

Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have had almost no impact on the oil price, despite the volume of oil shipped through the waterway surging 80% over the last two years because of the …

Decoding intelligence agencies’ recruitment processes

The 2024 independent intelligence review’s terms of reference affirm that recruitment is a challenge for Australia’s national intelligence agencies. The review’s remit includes evaluating whether agencies’ workforce decisions reflect a sufficiently strategic response to current …

What killed US–China engagement?

When Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US President Joe Biden last November, some interpreted it as a return to engagement. In fact, it heralded only a minor détente, not a major change in policy. …