by Robbin Laird | Jun 27, 2025 | Policy, Strategy & Capability
On May 28, 2025, Michael Shoebridge, Director of Strategic Analysis Australia, and I travelled to Melbourne, Australia to visit C2 Robotics which is described on its website as follows: “C2 Robotics specialises in the rapid development of cutting edge robotics and...
by Michael Shoebridge | Jun 24, 2025 | AUKUS, China, Defence Budget, Indo Pacific, Policy
The Albanese government’s relationship with the US Trump Administration is a mix of contradictions–needy, dismissive and critical. It’s hard to see this as working well for either nation right now, and the US probably cares less about this than we do. The personality...
by Michael Shoebridge | Jun 23, 2025 | AUKUS, Policy, Strategy & Capability
The Albanese government is finding it hard to come to terms with the way the world works now and that’s particularly obvious in its approach to Washington under Trump. But it’s also means the government is caught flatfooted when important things happen – like...
by Peter Jennings | Jun 20, 2025 | AUKUS, Defence Budget, Policy
The coming week may be the most important yet in Donald Trump’s presidency. It will be the decisive moment for a US military strike on Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facilities. Or not: Trump may choose to hold fire. On that decision hangs the tenuous future of Iran’s...
by Michael Shoebridge | Jun 17, 2025 | AUKUS, Defence Budget, Policy
So, Donald Trump has cancelled his planned meeting with Anthony Albanese – along with the chats he was to have had with other like India’s Narendra Modi because his priority right now is what’s happening in the war between Israel and Iran. Fair enough from Mr Trump’s...
by Marcus Hellyer | Jun 17, 2025 | AUKUS, Defence Budget, Policy
The Australian government has wedged itself on defence. The glaring gulf between its rhetoric around our strategic circumstances and its defence funding commitments have been called out by our great and powerful ally. It’s no longer just domestic analysts...
by Anthony Bergin | Jun 16, 2025 | Indo Pacific, Policy, South Pacific
The 2024 National Defence Strategy described India as a top-tier security partner for Australia. It said that we would look for opportunities with India to drive practical bilateral and multilateral co-operation. It’s therefore surprising that we haven’t started...
by Marcus Hellyer and Michael Shoebridge | Jun 16, 2025 | AUKUS, Podcasts, Strategy & Capability
The AUKUS emergency episode: What-the-Hell-Just Ha | RSS.com With the UK Eurovision entry “What-the-Hell-Just Happpppppened??” fitting Australia’s reaction to the Trump AUKUS review, Marcus and Michael discuss the two Oz views: “PANIC...
by Marcus Hellyer | Jun 16, 2025 | AUKUS, Defence Budget, Strategy & Capability
It’s been an eventful couple of weeks in AUKUS submarine land. The event that made the biggest splash, at least in Australia, was the United States’ announcement that Under Secretary for Defense Policy Elbridge Colby would lead a review of AUKUS ‘to ensure it aligns...
by Peter Jennings | Jun 15, 2025 | AUKUS, Defence Budget, Strategy & Capability
The Albanese government’s handling of AUKUS has been lazy, half-hearted and inattentive. The good news? If the PM really wants to salvage this mess, he can. Defence Minister Richard Marles says he’s “very confident” AUKUS is on track. Confidence, however, is no...
