In the unsettled weeks since Donald Trump’s election, many prominent voices in Australia’s strategic policy community—including Kim Beazley , Dennis Richardson, Angus Houston and of course Malcolm Turnbull—have rushed to answer the question whether Mr …
The Beat A murder every 1.5 hours At least 6,640 murders took place in El Salvador last year, making it one of the world’s deadliest nations. Though numbers have dropped more recently, the country still …
Much of the speculation about the implications of a Trump presidency for Asia suggest at least some degree of US retrenchment from the region. Former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans captured that pervasive sense of …
There was a time, immediately after German reunification in 1990, when many French feared Germany. Today, the roles are reversed. But Germans are not afraid so much of France as for it. In the wake …
A constant in Donald Trump’s electoral pitch was that wealthy allies had for too long relied on America’s willingness to backstop their national security and harvested the long-term economic rewards of keeping their own military …
The consequences of August’s #censusfail continue to reverberate in Canberra, and two reports released last week—one by the PM’s Special Adviser on Cyber Security, Alastair MacGibbon; the other by the Senate’s Economics Committee—pull no punches. …
Tensions over water are rising in Asia—and not only because of conflicting maritime claims. While territorial disputes, such as in the South China Sea, attract the most attention—after all, they threaten the safety of sea …
Although it surprised almost no-one, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s announcement on 20 November that she will again stand as the Chancellor-candidate for the conservative Christian Democratic Party/Christian Social Party Union (CDU/CSU) at next year’s German …
Sea State The Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability received a boost this past week, with the commissioning of the INS Chennai. Equipped with two ASW helicopters as well as sophisticated sonar systems, the INS …
Offshore crisis response requires a higher level of multiagency interconnectedness than ever before. However, the data overload that we all face in the Information Age inhibits networking as much as it facilitates it. To achieve …
The milk run from Canberra to RAAF Richmond left on Fridays. In the early 1990s, the US Air Force C-141 Starlifter aircraft from Hawaii always visited the RAAF airbase near the Blue Mountains on a …
The protracted search for a viable resettlement option for recognised refugees on Manus Island and Nauru may be over, with the Australian government announcing it had struck a one-off resettlement deal with the US. But …
For the last three decades our official analysis of Australia’s strategic environment has emphasised its fluidity. That trend is rising sharply. Indeed, today we face more uncertainty in our strategic environment than at any time …
Vale the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP has shattered, or sunk, or just slipped away. The symbolism is a US retreat from Asia. Donald Trump is changing the way America’s substance is weighed by the region. …
First up this week, a couple of good military blogs to bookmark (if you aren’t already acquainted). The Modern War Institute at West Point runs the cracking War Council Blog, which surveys all aspects of …
In her address to the United Nations Security Council Debate on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) held in New York in October, Ambassador Marriët Schuurman, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative on WPS said: ‘Gender equality …
In 2014, the Russian economy faced two major setbacks: international economic sanctions following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and a collapse in global oil prices. At the time, crude oil alone represented more than a third …
Canada, much like Australia, has seen its plans to replace its current fleet of ageing fighter jets bedevilled by controversy. Tuesday’s announcement that the Canadian government intends to acquire 18 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to supplement …
The Beat UN and INTERPOL forge ties This week the United Nations adopted a resolution calling for strengthened cooperation between the UN and INTERPOL. The resolution focuses on collaboration to tackle terrorism, preventing foreign fighter …
In less than two months, the American political transition will be over. The 45th president of the United States will settle into the Oval Office. President-elect Donald Trump will become President Trump; President Barack Obama …
