US forces strike Houthi weapon storage
On 8 January the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced its forces had conducted multiple precision strikes against two Iranian-backed Houthi underground Advanced Conventional Weapon...
2025 Strategic Policy Grants Program announced
On 8 January Defence announced the opening of the 2025 round Strategic Policy Grants Program (SPGP). This program supports original, independent research and public...
HMAS Brisbane returns home
On 6 January the destroyer HMAS Brisbane returned to Sydney after a five-month deployment, which included the successful launch of Australia’s first-ever Tomahawk cruise...
Will the US Navy be ready for war with China in 2027?
By Justin Katz*
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti has ordered the US Navy to be prepared for the possibility of conflict with China...
US’s $1 trillion ship build
The 2025 plan to recapitalize the Navy’s fleet will cost about $40.1 billion annually — about double what the service has received from Congress...
Russia oppressing its scientists
Russia’s scientific community is facing a catastrophic decline as repression, arrests, and brain drain cripple innovation and international collaboration. With key sectors devasted and...
UK leads monitoring of Russian shadow fleet
The U.K.-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a military partnership of 10 northern European countries, has activated an AI-powered system to track potential threats to undersea...
Russia upgrading Arctic N-subs
While Russia is midway into its nuclear submarine modernisation program with the new 4th generation ballistic missile carriers of the Borei-class, priority is also...
Submarine stealth v detection by AI
The modern race to build undetectable submarines dates from the 1960s. In that decade, the United States and the Soviet Union began a game...
Bolder plan for RAN needed
By Jennifer Parker*
The past year brought a renewed focus on Australia’s deteriorating security situation and maritime capability. Despite the maritime emphasis in Australia’s 2024...