Whoever wins this weekend’s contest to lead Japan’s ruling party could throw Australia the lifeline it desperately needs to secure the future of AUKUS Pillar One amid doubts about the program’s viability. A submarine program …
Japan can quickly and inexpensively increase its force of diesel-electric combat submarines from 22 to at least 28, if it stops prematurely retiring them. That would provide more of the one category of warship that …
Australia may have a way of very cheaply and quickly expanding its submarine force, improving its defences this decade and preparing for its planned nuclear-powered boats. We might do this by buying good second-hand submarines …
There has been a flurry of public commentary following yesterday’s News Limited claims that Australia is about to enter into a commitment to buy our next generation of submarines from Japan. The local submarine community …
Don’t underestimate the strength of Japan’s strategic transformation, above all in its hardening determination to face accumulating threats. The shift becomes clear to anyone who engages these days with Japanese officials and defence analysts, as …
It looks like Japan will finally cast aside its ban on hosting nuclear weapons—specifically, those of the United States. Moving towards action she called for last year, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is reviewing the three principles that have …
If all goes to plan, Australia will receive its first made-in-Japan frigate in 2029. The choice of the upgraded Mogami design of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, announced today, means the Royal Australian Navy will replace its …
German shipbuilder TKMS has significantly increased its chances in Canberra’s frigate competition by partnering with Saab, an entrenched supplier of crucial equipment for Australian warships. This challenges widespread assumptions that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is …
It’s not just technical naval capability. Australia has persuasive geostrategic and industrial reasons for choosing Japan over Germany as its partner in building as many as 11 general-purpose frigates in a priority defence program. The …
China has recently made two provocative military incursions into Japanese territory in just a week, with a surveillance plane breaching airspace on 26 August and a survey ship entering territorial waters on 31 August. On …
The possibility of Donald Trump returning to the White House has resuscitated debate about the reliability of the US alliance, including the nuclear protection Washington extends to Australia and other allies. Whoever wins the presidential …
Cooperating to strengthen Japan’s cyber defences and develop new offensive cyberweapons must be the first priority of any AUKUS collaboration involving Japan. Not only is this now key to Japan’s security, but it is a …











