Head honchos from 50 nations gathered in Washington DC this week for the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit, a biennial gathering launched by President Barack Obama after he set out his vision for a …
Seventeen billion dollars will be needed to directly replace critical infrastructure between 2015 and 2050 due to the impact of natural disasters in Australia. That’s a key finding of this month’s report from the Australian …
The ADF has evidently looked at the recent development of land-based anti-ship missile (LBASM) capabilities in East Asia and decided it wants in (see paragraph 4.46 in the 2016 Defence White Paper). The Integrated Investment …
Since its formation in 2015, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, and their operational arm the Australian Border Force have been the subject of significant criticism. A key accusation is that the ABF has …
As I’ve been doing for the last few years (2013, 2014 and 2015), here’s my analysis of the US Air Force’s most recent budget plans for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. As the defence press …
Recent changes in Japanese security policy have been applauded as ‘the biggest revisions in the country’s defense policy since adoption of the 1947 constitution’. There is a new National Security Council, a National Security Strategy, …
The Beat Documentary: counterfeiting US dollars in Peru Vice has published a 20 minute documentary that examines the underground US dollar counterfeit business in Peru—the current world leader at producing fake US currency. The doco …
After the 13 November terrorist attacks in Paris that left 130 dead, I wrote a commentary entitled ‘We Are At War’— and faced considerable criticism from readers, Europeans and non-Europeans alike. How dare I use …
While watching the new Batman v Superman movie, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between the plot and current dynamics between the US, China and North Korea. No really, hear me out. The gist of …
Washington in 2010—one year into the Obama administration, still mired in the fallout of the global financial crisis and troubled by Afghanistan and Iraq—didn’t provide fallow ground for new commitments in the Asia–Pacific. A new …
In a joint statement on 4 August 2015, Tony Abbott and Kevin Andrews (then respectively Prime Minister and Defence Minister) committed to a continuous build of warships in Australia, stating: ‘It’s the first time that …
Indonesian president Joko Widodo’s strategy for reinforcing state sovereignty and strengthening maritime integrity is being tested with the latest incursion by Chinese fishing boats into Indonesian waters off the Natuna islands. Indonesian Minister for Fisheries …
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) continues to dominate headlines this week, as the Apple v FBI case ends, a Chinese national admits to stealing US military secrets and seven Iranian hackers are indicted. As …
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has long been envisioned as a foundation stone for stability, security, and increased prosperity in Asia. But with uncertainty plaguing the political systems of Burma, Malaysia, and Thailand, ASEAN …
The importance of the ‘rules-based global order’ as a defence priority appears as frequently in the 2016 defence white paper as ‘self-reliance’ did in the 1987 DWP. It’s the leitmotif of the publication. Multiple challenges from state …
The US presence in the Indo–Asia–Pacific is transforming, and Australia has a major interest in how it unfolds. That transformation is driven in large part by China’s rise, and has several important features. First, US …
Sea State Tensions in the South China Sea continue to escalate, with around 100 Chinese ships detected in Malaysian waters near the Luconia Shoals on 24 March. In response, Malaysia sent its Maritime Enforcement Agency …
Continued Chinese maritime ‘gray zone’ aggression in the South China Sea (as well as further afield) requires that Australia make strategic choices now to avoid being militarily dominated or economically marginalised by Beijing in the …
Southeast Asia is feeling the pressure from Asia’s big beasts. ASEAN, as a middle-power grouping, might be glad of a bit of extra middle-power heft from the likes of Australia and New Zealand. The strategic …
Team Strategist will be enjoying a four day break over the Easter long weekend and will be back on Tuesday with our usual considered debate and analysis. Until then, we’d recommend Tom Hanson’s take on why the …