Articles

By Mike Scrafton* The strategic competition between the US and China dominates the Australian security and foreign policy discourse because of the geographic proximity of East Asia. Naturally, developments and events in that region that affect Australian interests are prioritised in turn. But the future international order and the prospects for enduring global peace and stability more likely will depend on the fate of the transatlantic alliance.

A transcript of the interview between Admiral Lutz Feldt (LF)* and Roger Hilton (RH)* is below. The transcript has been edited for clarity. RH: Admiral...

The latest episode of the Australian Naval History video and podcast series tells the little known story of the RAN in Confrontation. Replete with some quite amazing anecdotes told by three veterans Ian Pfennigwerth, Peter Cooke-Russell and Steve Youll, the episode also includes the analysis of Dr Andrew Ross. To view the podcast go to the Youtube link at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZAsMSUGOCg&t=3s or listen via any podcast app.

THE new UNSW Defence Research Institute will deliver world-class defence research to enhance Australia’s security. The UNSW Defence Research Institute draws on the expertise...

Aidan Morrison argues the importance of ensuring that the Navy's new submarine adopts the best sort of propulsion. It is a matter of physics and experiment.

By Kim Beazley* Commentary on the character of our security relationship with the US rarely examines what type of ally Australia is. We first, and...

The Strategic Readiness Review provides a good start for institutional reflection and debate as the U.S. Navy moves forward in addressing warfighting readiness. However, trying to address the complex “system of systems” contributing to readiness in 80 pages is a daunting task.

Norman Friedman: A new chapter in the protracted search for Malaysian Airlines’ lost airliner (MH 370) may have important implications for mine countermeasures and for other types of undersea warfare. What is new is the use of multiple, rather than single, UUVs, which can dive 50 percent deeper than their predecessors.

Since the Government announced that Australia would pursue a defence export industry, arising from its earlier decision to embark upon a continuous naval ship-building program debate has raged about its morality and practicality. In these two articles published in the mainstream media, Fairfax columnist Nicholas Stuart argues that Australia will find it impossible to become among the top 10 defence exporters, and Raytheon managing director Michael Ward responds as to why Australia can and should.

When three American warships and a merchant vessel were attacked by cruise missiles off the coast of Yemen in 2016, their crews fired off a series of defensive systems which diverted some of the missiles and brought the others down. One of those systems, and key elements of another, were developed in Australia by scientists and engineers who are producing some of the world’s most advanced targeting devices.