Finding alternatives to the US would be expensive and time-consuming. But Australia can be a more confident, self-reliant leader in the region.
- Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University
The Albanese government is facing a push by the United States for a ‘broad ranging and open ended’ commitment to defend Taiwan against any Chinese aggression.
The Trump administration wants to deter China’s potential aggression in the region. As part of that, submarines based in the Indian Ocean are crucial.
Should Australia be worried that Trump will cast it aside following his harsh words for Europe? We shouldn’t panic – our overlapping interests with the US are enduring.
The US is sending a message to its allies: he’s putting American interests first – not theirs. And this means dealing with Russia. So, how will Europe respond?
In weighing up Australia’s interests, we must look beyond the critiques. The geopolitical circumstances and new technological advances point to the need to stay the course.
AUKUS is still a very new partnership, so expansion isn’t viewed as a priority until the envisioned technology sharing is proven to work.
Amid reports of a dip in US production of nuclear submarines and concerns about the future of the agreement under Donald Trump, some have questioned the viability of AUKUS. But they need not worry.
‘The risks of military escalation or miscalculation are rising’, according to the long-awaited report.
The plan will see Australia supplied with nuclear-propulsion submarines more than a decade earlier than preciously envisaged.
Albanese is expected to visit Washington in the next two weeks to announce the roadmap for the AUKUS submarine agreement.
The long-awaited plan for Australia to get nuclear-powered submarines is expected next month, as are recommendations from a major strategic review into our defence force.
Laser pointing is separated from firing a missile with hostile intent by a mere split second – this is what makes such an action so dangerous.
Le « coup dans le dos » que l’Australie a porté à la France est lié à un besoin pressant de contrer l’hostilité grandissante de la Chine en s’appuyant sur une alliance de longue date avec Washington.
Nuclear-powered submarines do not need to surface for air, allowing them to be stealthier for longer. But there’s still a million-dollar question: does this make us safer?
Scenes of mayhem unfolded at Kabul airport overnight, as foreigners and Afghans try to flee Afghanistan following the seizure of the capital by the Taliban. This is Kabul’s ‘Saigon moment’.
Australia’s growing tendency to call in the defence force to deal with crises outside its usual remit is cause for concern. Shouldn’t we be better prepared to respond to disasters?
There are four potential flash points where conflict with China could break out. Beijing, though, has yet to present a ‘nail’ to the US ‘hammer’.
Afghanistan sharpened Australia’s fighting capacity and capability. But we were still part of a spectacular failure of political and military leadership.
China didn’t feature explicitly in Scott Morrison’s speech, but the dramatic growth in its military capabilities was a clear reason for the surge in defence spending.
US-Iran tension in the Strait of Hormuz is just one of many looming security challenges that need closer scrutiny.
The recent creation of the Home Affairs super portfolio has added another four agencies to the national intelligence community. Here’s how they work together.
The incoming Chief of the Defence Force, Angus Campbell, will need to focus his attentions on an array of conventional and non-conventional security concerns in the Indo-Pacific.
Politics podcast: John Blaxland on Australia’s expulsion of Russian spies
The expulsion of two Russian spies from Australia will have a significant effect on Russia's espionage here.
Politics Podcast: John Blaxland on new foreign interference laws
John Blaxland has some real concerns about the unintended consequences of the proposed foreign interference legislation on academic debate.
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