Japan upgrades naval self-defense
World naval developments December 2018
By Norman Friedman*
In mid-December the Japanese government announced that the two big helicopter-carrying ‘destroyers’ Izumo and Kaga would be modified...
Illegal fishing and Australian security
By Jade Lindley , Sarah Percy and Erika Techera*
Reconceptualising illegal fishing as a security issue may prove an effective solution.
Illegal fishing is increasingly recognised...
Obituary: Lt-Cdr Konstanty Okolow-Zubkowski
Lt-Cdr Konstanty Okolow-Zubkowski was a decorated naval officer who took part in the hunt for the German battleship Bismarck and later represented all Polish...
What Indonesia’s rise means to Australia
By Tommy Chai*
Indonesia’s rise presents both threats and opportunities for Australia.
Central to Australia’s concerns about Indonesia is whether our immediate neighbour to the north...
Japan’s regional offensive
By Professor Aurelia George Mulgan*
As the United States retreats, Japan is assuming the mantle of leadership in the Asia-Pacific region.
With President Trump’s pivot away...
Russia ‘testing underwater nuclear drone’
Russia has reportedly begun testing an underwater nuclear weapon that has been touted as invincible by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Poseidon, previously known...
Australia’s Pacific infrastructure boost
By Roland Rajah*
Australia has decided it is going to do a lot more infrastructure financing in the Pacific.
This is a welcome development. The Pacific...
NZ’s Pacific-China reset
By Christian Novak*
In February, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced a revised approach to the Pacific islands. Central to the coalition government’s ‘Pacific...
Coastguard academy would boost security for Australia and region
By John Coyne*
Over the past decade, maritime security concerns have featured prominently in ASEAN member states’ individual and collective agendas. Issues as diverse as...
‘Forward defence in depth’ for Australia
By Malcolm Davis*
Australia’s defence force structure has evolved over many years around defending the ‘sea–air gap’ as a perceived strategic moat. That construct dates...