The world Foreign ministers of NATO countries have gathered in Washington to mark the 70th anniversary of the organisation’s creation. For a brief history of NATO, what it does and who is a member, see …
In ASPI’s Agenda for change 2019, I argued the case for reforming the Department of Home Affairs. Despite its many successes, the department’s establishment hasn’t been smooth and a significant number of budgetary, legislative and …
Chinese President Xi Jinping seems to be on a roll. He has sent a rocket to the dark side of the moon, built artificial islands on contested reefs in the South China Sea and enticed …
A recent piece of commentary suggests that the Australia–India ‘strategic relationship’ has been ‘put in the fridge’. In a somewhat glum assessment, the article refers to certain key issues on which these two countries appear …
Intelligence and policing AFP and ASIO get funding boost The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police have received $570 million over five years for counterterrorism and counter-intelligence operations. The AFP will receive …
In part 1, I discussed how the Anzac class of frigates is only halfway through its service life and the last of the class now needs to remain in service until 2042–43 as the new …
This article is part of a series on women, peace and security that The Strategist is publishing in recognition of International Women’s Day 2019. On 6 March 2019, Arizona Senator Martha McSally gave testimony at an armed …
There’s been a vigorous debate of late in Australia about the extent of Chinese government interference in domestic politics. Less has been said about what occurs on our university campuses. Pressure from the Chinese government …
Late last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The union territory, far from the Indian mainland and often forgotten in its history, is the location …
There have never been more populist governments in place than today. Until now, populists haven’t been voted out of power in any Western country. Even though the president of Slovakia has only symbolic power, anti-corruption …
The Defence budget continues to deliver as expected. As forecast last year, there will be a modest increase in 2019–20 of around 1.2% in real terms, to $38,742 million (including both the Department of Defence …
For over a century, Australian federal governments have periodically tussled with the question of what to do with, and at times how to defend, what they’ve long considered Australia’s underdeveloped and underpopulated north. The Australian …
Way back in the 1970s, when NASA was contemplating the future after the Apollo moon landings, it was thinking big—really big. Two of its big ideas—Gerard K. O’Neill’s proposed space colonies and the idea of …
Sea state Unforeseen problems repairing USS Gerald R. Ford will push the aircraft carrier’s delivery back by three months, US Navy officials told a House Armed Services Committee panel. The delay has occurred because the …
The Morrison government has announced its intention to introduce new legislation into parliament this week to stop content like the video of the Christchurch massacre from proliferating on social media platforms. The new law would …
The trends in terrorist activity and counterterrorism efforts observed in the Sahel and broader West African region over the course of 2018 were far from encouraging and paved the way for further instability. The picture …
China’s decision to block Pakistani Masood Azhar’s designation as a terrorist at the UN yet again is likely to test the limits of the tactical ‘reset’ in Sino-Indian relations in place since the Wuhan summit …
Moving from the Collins-class submarines to the Attack class is not the only long and complex capability transition that the Royal Australian Navy is embarking upon. The journey from the current Anzac-class frigates to the …
This article is part of a series on women, peace and security that The Strategist is publishing in recognition of International Women’s Day 2019. It might surprise you, but we in the military aren’t usually very good …
More often than not, Europe is invoked in abstract terms, such as when politicians argue that European sovereignty is the only path to security in a world dominated by great powers. But as the original …