No other weapon system embodies the menacing, but also out-of-sight, presence of nuclear weapons better than the stealthy nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) that have, for six decades, ceaselessly prowled the world’s cold ocean depths, …
As tensions on the border between India and China have once again lit up, so too has anti-Beijing sentiment among Indians. Calls to boycott Chinese products have precedents in India, and this time Hindu nationalists …
The world has spent the past 30 years trying to redefine ‘national security’ in ways that will allow nation-states to prepare for and tackle a wider range of threats to our existence and wellbeing. Alternatively, …
US President Donald Trump’s suggestion to reporters aboard Air Force One on the weekend that this year’s G7 meeting be expanded to include Russia, India, South Korea and Australia appears to be more than a …
Many local factors have contributed to the face-off between Indian and Chinese forces in Ladakh. Western Ladakh borders Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan, where China has invested hugely its economic corridor project with Pakistan under …
Sea state Former admiral Kenneth Braithwaite has been confirmed as the US Navy’s top civilian official, six months after Richard Spencer was asked to step down from the role over his alleged mishandling of a …
The protests across America flowing from the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis have exposed continuing deep rifts over race and equality of treatment by the police. The anger, frustration and grief are …
Australia can acquire extra maritime capability quickly and affordably while promoting local industry and the government’s continuous naval shipbuilding plan. My new ASPI report, From concentrated vulnerability to distributed lethality—or how to get more maritime …
In Australia, as in many other countries today, two self-isolating clusters of influencers have emerged that seek to steer dealings with the People’s Republic of China. The two groups rarely intersect except to voice mutual …
For the best part of 50 years, NATO has maintained a standing force of mine countermeasure vessels at the ready to respond to a mining incident in the English Channel and approaches. The force originally …
Even before the outbreak of Covid-19, the level of global debt was high by historic standards. According to the Institute of International Finance, by late 2019 global debt (including private and public debt) was more …
For defence officials and diplomats, digital media, and specifically social media, have become an unavoidable aspect of their operations, communications and strategic international engagement. But the use of those media isn’t always understood or appreciated by …
In the first post in this series, I noted that, so far, the government remains committed to the 10-year defence funding line it presented in the 2016 defence white paper. That funding line is likely …
As China’s communist leaders prepare to impose a draconian new national security law on supposedly autonomous Hong Kong, officials in Beijing and locally are trying to assure the city’s anxious and angry residents that nothing …
The social isolation driven by the worldwide pandemic is providing opportunities to think, not just about Covid-19, how we got here or even why people hoarded toilet paper. While some have helped to put the …
The thought bubble of a travel bubble for Australia and New Zealand is transforming from bubble into action. The official title is ‘a trans-Tasman Covid-safe travel zone’ but it’s gotta be the ‘travel bubble’. Bubbles …
In late October, the Australian Defence Force carried out a trial to assess its ability to help should a natural disaster strike a state or territory. Thirty men and women, reservists from the three services, …
In this episode, marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Lisa Sharland, head of ASPI’s international program, speaks to the force commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Major General Cheryl Pearce, about …
As the world remains focused on the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party has set about boiling two frogs. Beijing has turned up the heat on Hong Kong. It’s also stepping up its attempts to …
This article is part of ASPI’s 2020 series on women, peace and security. It’s complicated. Over the past several years, many countries have worked hard to get more women involved in their militaries, and the …
