FEATURED ARTICLES
When Karens take power; building a hedge of frigates & missile maths
by Marcus Hellyer and Michael Shoebridge | Feb 14, 2025
When Karens take power; building a hedge of frigat | RSS.com In Episode 32, the Grumpy Strategists apply science to the Australian government's early engagement with the Trump Administration. Insights from prey species threatened by a predator help....
Hamas degraded, but peace in Gaza still a long way off
by Mike Kelly and Anthony Bergin | Feb 14, 2025
The spectacle from Gaza during hostage releases by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have raised equal portions of disgust and concern. Watching Hamas’s behaviour featuring show bags, “graduation certificates” and incitement of blood...
Implementing defence industry policy – what you see, and what you don’t
by Rob Bourke | Feb 14, 2025
This month marks the first anniversary of the release of the government’s 2024 Defence Industry Development Strategy. At that time, the Strategy attracted little attention besides some pretty critical reviews. Not much has changed since—despite the...
AUKUS: from strategic partnership to a deal kept on the road by Aussie cash
by Michael Shoebridge | Feb 12, 2025
No one should take any comfort from the recent engagement that Defence Minister Richard Marles had with newly-appointed Pentagon chief, Pete Hesgeth in Washington last week. Instead, we should prepare for the obvious demand Donald Trump will make of...
Our hospitals won’t cope with a mass-casualty event
by Anthony Bergin and Tony Joseph | Feb 12, 2025
In January, a caravan was found in Sydney packed with explosives with a note in the vehicle listing Jewish addresses, including a synagogue. Places of worship have long been terrorist targets because of their symbolic value and...
Trump’s Gaza gambit
by Peter Jennings | Feb 6, 2025
President Trump’s instinct to disrupt established pathways and his lack of deep engagement in international affairs is what allows the idea that “the US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too”. In his first term, Trump...
AUKUS Grifter Watch—Beware breathless claims of economic benefits
by Marcus Hellyer | Feb 4, 2025
Last year I warned about the proliferation of unsubstantiated claims about the economic benefits to Australia of AUKUS and the domestic construction of nuclear submarines. Such claims are nonsense. All economists will tell you that defence spending...
Australia is a coin toss away from a mass casualty attack
by Peter Jennings | Feb 4, 2025
A caravan packed with explosives is the means. A note in the vehicle with Jewish addresses including a synagogue is the motive. Taken together these facts tell me that there is a growing risk of a mass casualty attack in Australia, most likely...
Episode 31: Biden valedictory, Trump 2.0 prelude, & Bad Santa’s little Canberra helpers release more reviews
by Michael Shoebridge and Marcus Hellyer | Jan 21, 2025
Episiode 31- Biden valedictory, Trump 2.0 prelude | RSS.com Marcus and Michael are back after a luxurious break to assess what Joe Biden ever did for us, what Trump 2.0 looks like as the rollercoaster starts, and what the unsleeping Australian Govt...
The Varghese review: protecting business as usual by ensuring ‘contestability’ is just a fluffy lap dog
by Marcus Hellyer | Jan 21, 2025
Everybody says they want policy contestability because it tests ideas and can bring new insights and rigour to policy and decision making. But there’s one thing my years conducting contestability on Australia’s defence and strategic policy from...
Transparency essential if rebuilding is to be of Gaza, not Hamas
by Anthony Bergin | Jan 20, 2025
Speaking from Israel on Friday, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was asked what Australia’s contribution to Gaza’s reconstruction should be. He avoided a direct answer, saying it was clear there needed to be a large international effort with no...
Trump 2.0: new deals on AUKUS and defence spending
by Michael Shoebridge | Jan 20, 2025
In his second incarnation as US President, Donald Trump will be more certain of his own instincts and much more demanding than the Trump we saw between 2016 and 2020. That is big news for Australia, particularly because of President Trump’s...
Mark Dreyfus visit to Israel is no gimmick, but it must go beyond Labor PR
by Anthony Bergin | Jan 15, 2025
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, a prominent Jewish member of cabinet, is visiting Israel for about a week to help mend relations between the two countries. Dreyfus had a trip to Israel scheduled for the one-year anniversary of the October 7 terrorist...
Funding the Defence of Australia in 2025: 6 recommendations for urgent change
by Marcus Hellyer, Peter Jennings and Michael Shoebridge | Jan 14, 2025
No-one wants war, but the risk of conflict in our region is substantially growing, and we could well find ourselves in war whether we want it or not. The challenge now is to rapidly strengthen the Australian Defence Force with the goal that our...
This will be a year of living with danger
by Peter Jennings | Jan 14, 2025
If you thought 2024 was hard for defence and security, the outlook at the beginning of 2025 suggests this year will be even riskier. From 2020, all Australian defence ministers have said the strategic outlook has never been more challenging than...
‘More of the same’ politics is a recipe for political death
by Michael Shoebridge | Jan 10, 2025
If 2024 was the year of global elections, 2025 is the year voters want experimentation in politics and government – and they’re willing to elect risky people to deliver it. 2024 set a clear pattern: incumbent governments were punished by being...
A Defence Force that meets Australia’s strategic requirements: Paper 2 in A Blueprint for the Next Government
by Marcus Hellyer, Peter Jennings and Michael Shoebridge | Oct 8, 2024
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) and its strategic outlook are in crisis and urgent action is needed. The key recommendation of this report is that, following the next election, the government must take urgent steps to boost Australian production...
The Defence of Australia: A Blueprint for The Next Government – Paper 1: National Security and Australia’s Northern Defence
by Peter Jennings, Michael Shoebridge and Marcus Hellyer | Sep 23, 2024
The Strategic Analysis Australia team is delighted to be working on a joint project with the Institute of Public Affairs developing a blueprint for the Australian government on defence policy. Our aim is to identify actionable policy recommendations...
Australia’s missing nuclear debate – it’s not about subs
by Lesley Seebeck | Sep 4, 2024
Recently, the nuclear debate, such as it is in Australia, has been captured by two significant developments. There are the plans for nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS arrangements. That will entail new skills, capabilities and operational...
Makin’ missiles, a business insurgency & schedule as comedy – Episode 24
by Marcus Hellyer and Michael Shoebridge | Aug 29, 2024
Makin' missiles, a business insurgency & schedule | RSS.com Marcus and Michael catch up on news about makin' missiles, assess whether the secret to change in Defence is a cashed up billionaire, and are bemused by the new 'Schedule is King' mantra for...
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