The United States’ 6 January decision to withdraw from many international organisations risks allowing Beijing and Moscow to further advance their undermining of global stability. To prevent that, Indo-Pacific partners, such as Australia, Japan, Singapore …
As with 2025, early 2026 sees AUKUS Pillar One, Australia’s plan to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine capability, back in the headlines. This time the focus is claims by a former Royal Navy admiral and former …
The US intervention in Venezuela and its withdrawal from dozens of multilateral bodies are reminders that President Donald Trump will exercise power as he sees fit, with scant regard for international law or norms. Even …
The Royal Australian Navy’s greatest challenge isn’t introducing nuclear submarines and considerably expanding the surface fleet, as daunting as those objectives are. Rather, it is transitioning from a peacetime force to one with a maritime …
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s trip to Beijing this week—the first trip by a Canadian prime minister in more than eight years—signals a high-stakes attempt to reset Canada-China relations. This visit comes as pro-democracy publisher Jimmy …
Southeast Asian states need their coast guards to cooperate if they are to withstand and counter Chinese aggression, especially as US uninterest in the South China Sea may embolden China to increase its coercion of …
A Chinese attempt at blockading or invading Taiwan in 2026 is unlikely. Instead, Beijing is likely to persist with its toolkit of coercive actions to erode Taiwan’s will and narrow its strategic options. President Xi …
China would not be the superpower it seems, renowned historian Frank Dikotter argues in his book, China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower. The seemingly almighty Chinese Communist Party was virtually destroyed by chairman …
Indonesia’s military force development needs to prioritise capabilities required to enforce neutrality in a Taiwan contingency. Without persistent surveillance and the ability to remain on task over extended periods, the country’s long-standing policy of neutrality …
As Iranians take to the streets, the Islamic regime could be facing its greatest challenge since 1979. This selection of Strategist articles analyses the emerging calls for regime change, provides an insight into Iran’s complex …
Australia can deepen engagement with Africa without significantly expanding its current level of aid or diplomatic footprint by working through the Quad, the security partnership that comprises Japan, India, the United States and Australia. Each …
There have been a great many books written about the 6 June 1944 invasion of Normandy by allied forces. Sir Max Hastings made a fine contribution to the literature on the subject in 1984 with …
Australia’s next National Defence Strategy (NDS) risks overlooking a crucial vulnerability that’s hiding in plain sight: our people, and particularly women. The 2024 strategy identified improving workforce growth and retention as one of six immediate …
Iran’s long-standing era of strategic patience appears to be ending. A newly articulated doctrine of preemption—dangerously vague and publicly declared—suggests a regime that sees growing risk in restraint and is now prepared to play a …
The United States’ capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro raises issues for us and other US allies. To start, we need to get a few things straight, including the point that the operation was a …
As 2025 recedes in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look at the combat-aircraft stories that are likely to make news in 2026. Anyone waiting for the Xian H-20 shoe to drop over the holiday …
The deteriorating strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific makes an Australia-Japan defence alignment central to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific by deterring China in the region. Australian–Japanese defence alignment will contribute to deterrence by developing interoperability …
Indonesia’s establishment of its Mineral Industry Agency is critical in realising its vision of resource nationalism, independence in military production, and strategic autonomy. By establishing a national critical minerals supply chain, Indonesia can enhance its …
Increasing friction between the United States and India in recent months risks fracturing a relationship that is too important to fail. As an emerging economic colossus, India is a critical trading partner for the US …
When Dutch General Tom Middendorp speaks, the world’s security apparatus pays attention. As the former chief of defence of the Netherlands and current chair of the International Military Council on Climate and Security, Middendorp, widely …
