When Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles signs a new bilateral Defence Cooperation Agreement today with Indonesia’s Defence Minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto, observers would be wise to treat Australian claims of its ‘historic’ significance with …
Mention ‘proliferation’ and most people will assume that you are talking about the spread of nuclear weapons. For good reason. Nine countries—China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United States and the Britain—possess …
The arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France has underscored the urgent need for more regulation of messaging and social media platforms that can be exploited for hybrid operation by both states and non-state …
Australia’s national security community must do more to advance the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) make-up of its workforce, because increasing the diversity of perspectives in thinking would improve Australia’s strategic acumen. As a nation, …
South Korea’s force of indigenously developed ballistic and cruise missiles may be the most underappreciated set of weaponry in Asia. With little publicity, this strike-missile capability has been growing for decades, and it’s poised to …
Australia’s international engagement on terrorism has diminished markedly since counter-terrorism successes in neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines, Australia’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the winding down of the global war on terrorism and the reduction …
Another round of Israel-Hezbollah tit-for-tat attacks is over for now, but the danger of an all-out war continues to haunt the Middle East. Both sides have said that despite their reluctance to escalate, they are …
This week is Australia’s inaugural National Biosecurity Week (NBW). The event serves as a vital reminder of the importance of safeguarding our nation’s unique ecosystems and agricultural industries from harmful pests and diseases, underscoring our …
Prominent security failures have demonstrated that even nations regarded as the most well-equipped to handle domestic threats are wildly unprepared to deal with drones as tools of surveillance and direct attack. In countries such as …
No doubt the Chinese military was paying attention. Last month the United States disassembled and removed the floating pier it had assembled at a Gaza beach to take aid deliveries. Heavy seas beat it. Such …
The AUKUS quest for nuclear-powered submarines is a thought bubble that turned into a huge project, driven by ambition and beset by anxiety. Canberra’s instant political consensus is a striking element of how quickly the …
Australia’s 20-year-long economic party, funded by China, may be drawing to a close, with consequences for federal and state budgets, superannuation returns and living standards generally. The iron ore price is the most obvious pointer …
The first satellites for China’s ambitious G60 mega-constellation are in orbit in preparation for offering global satellite internet services—and we should worry about how this will help Beijing export its model of digital authoritarianism around …
Ten years since Islamic State’s genocide against them, the justice that the Yazidi craved still eludes them. In August 2014, Islamic State adherents in Syria and Iraq began committing mass murder, forced religious conversion, enslavement …
China has announced new controls over the production of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, the deadly illicit drug that’s killing thousands of Americans every year. But the new controls do nothing to dismantle the …
Kiribati’s polls have closed, and the results are in. There won’t be a president for several weeks, but, regardless of the outcome, Australia will be hoping for a fresh start. When parliament is formed, it …
The possibility of Donald Trump returning to the White House has resuscitated debate about the reliability of the US alliance, including the nuclear protection Washington extends to Australia and other allies. Whoever wins the presidential …
New Caledonia is the most pressing issue in Pacific security right now. New Caledonia’s future is a black swan risk: waiting in plain sight, yet unknown to most. In May 2024, New Caledonia erupted into …
China’s leader Xi Jinping has his eye on the transformative forces of artificial intelligence to revolutionise the country’s economy and society in the coming decades. But the disruptive, and potentially unforeseen, consequences of this technology …
Australia must become more active in the western Indian Ocean, not least because the country’s fuel supplies depend on tanker traffic through the region. The Royal Australian Navy has operated in the western Indian Ocean …
