Donald Trump’s loutish campaign for the US presidency has left most of the world – excluding, perhaps, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his European populist allies, like France’s Marine Le Pen—confused and aghast. Indeed, it …
The announcement that French defence contractor DCNS had been selected as Australia’s international partner to build RAN’s new fleet of 12 submarines was big news in Australia. That’s understandable considering the multi-billion dollar, decades-long contract. …
Malcolm Turnbull’s aim for an ideas boom looks set to take some flesh in tonight’s Federal Budget, showing up in everything from cities and infrastructure initiatives through to a re-focusing of tax policy. Yet although …
It’s all but certain that the government will make good on its white paper funding commitment in tomorrow’s Budget. With the fanfare of the submarine and frigate announcements still echoing, it would be political suicide …
The PNG Supreme Court’s Manus Island decision of 26 April has created legal and diplomatic challenges for PNG and Australia. The ruling that the ongoing detention of asylum seekers at the Manus Island Regional Processing …
As Narendra Modi shifts Indian foreign policy from looking to acting—from passive to active—he’s also counting on an infrastructure push to better connect India at home and with its region. India’s connectivity drive includes projects …
‘Tis, indeed, a wonderful time to be a Defencenik in Canberra. Tomorrow is Budget Day in the national capital. Yet Defence has nothing to fear and everything to expect. Defence is special. The budget future …
Monday was a public holiday across the country, providing Australians with some solemn space to reflect and give thanks for the contributions and sacrifices made by our defence force personnel. Lest we forget. Onto this …
At the heart of the new Australian Cyber Security Strategy is a new paradigm for public–private engagement on cyber security. Business has been elevated from ‘partner’ to ‘co-leader’ in the new ‘National Cyber Partnership’ to …
The diplomats have done their job, concluding the Paris climate agreement in December. And political leaders gathered last week at the United Nations to sign the new accord. But implementation is surely the tough part. …
According to Frontex, the EU’s border management agency, last year there were over 1.8 million illegal border crossings detected along Europe’s external Schengen borders—six times the detections reported in 2014. Europe’s external border security measures …
Welcome to The Strategist Six, a feature that provides a glimpse into the thinking of prominent academics, government officials, military officers, reporters and interesting individuals from around the world. 1. You served as Indonesia’s Ambassador to …
The government’s recent decision to split the production of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) has been met with a mix of delight and dismay. Delight by those with an interest in the shipyards in Adelaide SA …
US President Barack Obama supposedly ‘cleared the air’ with Saudi King Salman before the latest meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. Given how strained the bilateral relationship is—a situation long …
The Beat The global drug problem From 19 to 21 April, the UN General Assembly held its Special Session on World Drug Problem. The session was held in working towards the goals set out in …
The aftershocks are now continuing to rattle the survivors of a series of deadly Japanese earthquakes with the death toll now at 48. Natural disasters are predictive surprises: we don’t know when they’ll occur, but …
In a little more than a year, the French will vote to elect their new president. It is, of course, far too early to make any predictions. If ‘one week is a long time in …
China’s adventurism in the South China Sea has prompted a change in Australian policymaking that merits wide international attention. In making maintenance of a “rules-based global order” a core strategic priority, Australia’s new Defence White …
Intra-Asian defence diplomacy is surging. After laying dormant for decades—thanks to the San Francisco hub-and-spokes system of alliances and regional multilateral dialogues which seldom advance actual security cooperation—defence exchanges and strategic relationships are enjoying a …
The major cyber story of the week is the long-awaited release of Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy, the first document of its kind since 2009. The Strategy outlines $230 million of funding for enhanced cyber security …