Fall of Singapore – lessons for Australia
By Hugh White*
Most of us would agree that the Fall of Singapore in February 1942 remains the biggest strategic shock Australia has ever received, but we pay too little attention to why it was such a shock, and what we can learn from it. The fall of Singapore — a maritime perspective
By James Goldrick*
THE fall of Singapore reflects failure at many levels, but not in the way most observers think. The British had to fight the war they got in 1939, rather than a war that was yet to happen in 1941. Had the Japanese attacked in the Far East before the Germans attacked Poland, the British would have sent their forces east, however reluctantly. But that wasn’t the order of events.
Australia and France: an innovative defence partnership
Nicole Forrest Green speaks with Rear Admiral Bernard-Antoine Morio de l’Isle France’s Deputy Chief of Navy for operations and former Pacific Joint Commander, following the historic signing of an Inter-Government Agreement on December 20th 2016 in Adelaide by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and France’s Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. Larger engineering role for US fleet needed
THE US Navy will need a larger engineering directorate as it grows the fleet in coming years, to avoid problems faced in past ship classes like the Littoral Combat Ship and the Zumwalt guided missile destroyer stemming from the Navy being too hands-off on technical specifications. Ex defence chief’s No to South China Sea nav runs or blockades
THE retired defence chief Angus Houston has warned Australia should not participate in freedom of navigation operations within 12 nautical miles of China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea, The Guardian reports. He has also criticised the push to blockade China’s artificial islands, saying that would invite a “sharp response” from Beijing. $100m for Navy-related infrastructure in WA
The Turnbull Government will invest $100 million in Navy related industrial infrastructure and sustainment in Western Australia between 2017 and 2020, a government statement...
More submarine problems: UKIP
UK Independence Party Defence Spokesman, Bill Etheridge MEP, has launched a broadside at the Ministry of Defence as news emerged of not only a...
Germany to Buy Six Warships
German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen has decided to buy six MKS-180 multirole warships instead of putting off a decision on two of...
‘Aman-17’ naval exercise kicks off in Karachi
The multinational 'Aman-17' naval exercise kicked off in Karachi with 37 countries, including Pakistan, taking part in the feb 2017 event.
Nine of the visitors...
All of Royal Navy’s Attack Subs Are Off Patrol Duty
On 12 Feb 2017, UK media reported that all seven of the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered attack submarines are "non-operational," with six undergoing repairs and...