‘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 …
In analysis of US Grand Strategy under a future President Trump, Rod Lyon warns about a reversal of the US rebalance to Asia, noting ‘turbulent waters lie ahead’, and echoing concerns aired by Kim Beazley …
Back in February 2015, Prime Minister Tony Abbott was gearing up to gift the contract to build Australia’s future submarines to the Government of Japan. The press release had been drafted and the announcement was …
We now have some answers about the project that will eventually deliver our next generation submarines. The French company DCNS will be our international design partner and the submarines will be built in South Australia. …
Asia’s water woes are worsening. Already the world’s driest continent in per capita terms, Asia now faces a severe drought that has parched a vast region extending from southern Vietnam to central India. This has …
DCNS of France has been selected as our preferred international partner for the design of the 12 Future Submarines, subject to further discussions on commercial matters. The next generation of submarines for Australia will be …
Sea State Breaking: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced France’s DCNS as the winner of RAN’s $50 billion future submarine contract during a surprise visit to Adelaide this morning. The construction of the 12 conventionally-powered submarines, …