by Michael Shoebridge | Aug 15, 2023 | China, Defence Budget, Indo Pacific, Strategy & Capability, Uncategorized
The biggest version of Talisman Sabre ever conducted ended on 8 August. This high-end military exercise between Australian, US and other military forces involved over 34,500 military personnel from 13 nations and covered over 7,000km of Australia’s coastline...
by Anthony Bergin and Gedaliah Afterman | Aug 13, 2023 | Policy, South Pacific
Around the world, sustainable ocean economic activity, or the blue economy, is swelling. This growth is driven by dwindling land resources, technological advancements, and the urgent need to respond to climate change. The blue economy extends beyond traditional...
by Anthony Bergin and Andrew Baird | Aug 3, 2023 | Policy, Strategy & Capability
Successive Australian governments have had a phobia about being seen, even remotely, to support schemes that smack of national conscription. But we also know that in a time of crisis or conflict, our regular Defence Force will need to expand rapidly and work with...
by Michael Shoebridge | Jul 26, 2023 | Policy, Reading
Freedom’s Forge by Arthur Herman is unapologetic about how free enterprise, creativity and patriotic business figures turned a reluctant and consumer-focused American economy into ‘the arsenal of democracy’ that out innovated, out built and – with its allies...
by Michael Shoebridge | Jul 24, 2023 | AUKUS, Strategy & Capability
US Republicans in Congress are pushing the Biden Administration to put more funding into US submarine production before Congress agrees to transfer any Virginia Class submarines to Australia. Resolved, this won’t damage but will help the AUKUS deal. But it...
by Michael Shoebridge | Jul 17, 2023 | China, Indo Pacific, South Pacific, Strategy & Capability
A podcast covering strategy, capability, the region, China and the US recorded with Saltwater Strategists. Australia’s security environment is not ‘increasingly complex and uncertain’. It’s unfortunately getting simple but in a nasty way...
by Lesley Seebeck | Jul 13, 2023 | Policy, Uncategorized
In the preface to the Report of the Royal Commission into the Robo debt Scheme, Commissioner Holmes reflects how she was startled at the ‘myriad’ of ways the scheme failed the public interest. A fundamental failure was institutional—the Australian Public Service...
by Michael Shoebridge | Jul 12, 2023 | Europe, Strategy & Capability, Ukraine
Ukraine’s military is running out of ammunition and other military supplies. The problem is so grave that US President Joe Biden has ‘concluded he had little choice but to provide’ Ukraine with cluster munitions – a class of weapons many countries, including...
by Michael Shoebridge | Jul 11, 2023 | China, Strategy & Capability, Ukraine
Anthony Albanese faces a testing trip to the NATO meeting in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, this week. And it shouldn’t be like this. Australia has been included in recent NATO meetings because it has provided much-needed military supplies to Ukraine and...
by Anthony Bergin | Jul 11, 2023 | South Pacific
NATO leaders gather in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, this week and Ukraine will dominate the summit. Anthony Albanese will be there. Security is global so it’s positive that he is attending. But we can’t escape our own region. Fortunately, there’s good news here. ...
