New pirates of the Caribbean
By Tom Sharpe*
Every now and then something quite unusual happens at sea. Mechanical failures are not uncommon nor is a tow line parting, particularly...
Maritime strategy beyond AUKUS
By Jennifer Parker*
There is growing concern about the shifting geopolitical environment, the increasing use of military force to settle disputes, and what this means...
China’s coming small wars
By Michael Hanson*
The world took note of the meteoric growth of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), both in size and capability. Specifically, the PLA...
CN stresses importance of undersea cables
The Australian island continent depends heavily on data and communications made possible by undersea cables, but Australia lacks the law, policy and capability to...
Australian Maritime Strategy 2035
On 4 November Vice Admiral (retired) Tim Barrett launched A Maritime Strategy for Australia at the Maritime Strategy Masterclass held during the Indo-Pacific International...
The flaws in GDP defence measure
By Nick Tate*
The good thing about the share of GDP as a measure of defence spending is that it’s simple and comparable. The bad...
Need for strategic independence
By Clive Williams*
I went to a large military event in Melbourne recently and found the lack of independent thinking about Australia’s strategic circumstances somewhat...
UK, US vessels in Taiwan Strait
A U.S. and U.K. warship transited the Taiwan Strait this month (September 2025) last week drawing protests from Beijing, USNI News has learned.
U.S. guided-missile...
Blurry legal status of uncrewed vessels
By Pornomo Rovan Astri Yoga*
The South China Sea has always been a flashpoint for regional tension, but the next phase of its militarisation might...
Freedom of navigation questions
By Euan Graham*
A freedom-of-navigation activity that the Australian and British navies jointly conducted near the Spratly Islands last month was notable. It was the...