NDS: not enough new stuff
By Peter Layton*
Sometimes new government strategies really aren’t newsworthy. The 2026 National Defence Strategy (NDS) is like that. The biggest headline from the document...
Behind the new Defence Strategy
Defence Minister Richard Marles announced 16 April 2026 the government’s new National Defence Strategy (NDS) and its accompanying spending outline, the Integrated Investment Plan...
Reliance v self-sufficiency
By Mike Hughes and Justin Bassi*
The National Defence Strategy, announced on 16 April 2026 by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, correctly...
Getting good order at sea
By Sean Andrews*
Since 2009, Australian maritime security policy has rested on four interlocking pillars: practical engagement with Indo‑Pacific partners; regional defence cooperation through initiatives...
Legality of Chinese drone in Indonesia
By Dita Lilian*
Indonesian fishers found a torpedo-like object in the waters north of Gili Trawangan, Lombok, on 6 April. The exact coordinates of the...
Maritime insurance and Hormuz tanker traffic
By Mark Bailey*
The Strait of Hormuz oil and LNG tanker traffic was not closed by Iranian or US action. Tankers cannot sail because their...
India’s no-war, no-peace strategy
By Sanchari Ghosh*
At first glance, India’s Maritime Doctrine 2025 appears to be a routine update to earlier editions. Read closely, the new doctrine shows...
Hormuz: the legal position
By Natalie Klein*
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow body of water adjacent to Iran and Oman, which connects the Persian Gulf to the...
Australia right to aid Gulf states
By Jennifer Parker*
In the second week of the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, Australia on 10 March announced a limited...
If rules matter for China, why not for our allies?
By Clive Williams*
More than a week after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, the conflict has escalated into a multi-front war. Australians...