28 Mar 2023
The economics of AUKUS
A formal cost-benefit analysis wouldn’t go astray to help understand the benefits had a different decision been made.
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27 Mar 2023
Philippines: The best friend for AUKUS in Southeast Asia
Manila has stood apart on Australia’s nuclear-powered subs deal as a sympathetic democracy seeking to balance China. -
22 Mar 2023
AUKUS commits Australia to fight China if America does, simple
Whatever the flag, Washington would not sell nuclear-powered boats unless it could count on them in war over Taiwan. -
21 Mar 2023
Could Indonesia legally stop transit by nuclear-powered AUKUS subs?
International law includes passage rights for all vessels in archipelagic waters – during peace or wartime. -
20 Mar 2023
Australia, China, AUKUS and the squandered advantage
Canberra appears to have overlooked the tyranny of distance as its chief asset in regional military deterrence. -
20 Mar 2023
AUKUS in the Pacific: Calm with undercurrents
Pacific neighbours understand the drivers behind Australia’s bid for nuclear-powered subs, but still harbour concerns. -
17 Mar 2023
AUKUS: The pillars of Hercules
Wishful thinking will not make the world more benign. Ambition carries a cost, but Australia has a responsibility, too. -
17 Mar 2023
The limits on Australia’s submarine industry
Long before the last boat is delivered, the business will be winding down. -
14 Mar 2023
AUKUS: Many questions, revealing answers
What Lowy Institute’s analysts have so far made of the nuclear-powered submarine announcement. -
13 Mar 2023
The Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier dilemma
Seen as a vital asset to maritime strategy, large “supercarriers” are nonetheless very expensive. -
10 Mar 2023
AUKUS: Asking a veteran submariner what to think
What are the big issues still lurking beneath the surface of the AUKUS debate? -
2 Mar 2023
AUKUS and intellectual property
In an era of economic entanglement, IP theft has the potential to threaten democracy. Governments need to be vigilant. -
17 Feb 2023
Indonesia’s own subs conundrum
A stalled deal with South Korea means both countries must overcome defence cooperation challenges to look to the future. -
15 Feb 2023
Reset in US–Philippines relations tells of yet another China fumble
The 180-degree reversal in Manila’s foreign policy was a consequent evolution of the previous regime’ approach. -
13 Feb 2023
Ukraine needs tanks – Australia should send some
The war is entering a new phase and our support needs to keep pace with developments on the ground. -
9 Feb 2023
With caution and tact: How Asian countries voted on Ukraine at the UN
A resolution forces nations to show their hand. After Russia’s invasion, consistency has not been to everyone’s liking. -
6 Feb 2023
A Chinese invasion of Taiwan isn’t inevitable
The logistics pose a momentous challenge. And more so, Xi Jinping knows a war will entail enormous costs. -
2 Feb 2023
France-Australia: Salving the wounds of AUKUS
After the crisis over the subs deal, both countries stand to benefit from a normalisation of ties. -
1 Feb 2023
Marles torpedoes French subs, but is yet to explain nuclear advantage
For such a high-stakes and expensive enterprise the public deserves to know not just what boats we’re getting, but why. -
31 Jan 2023
Australia’s return to must-win wars
The future is not the past. Australia needs to reset its strategic thinking and plan to win the wars it fights. -
23 Dec 2022
How to Interpret 2022: Russia invades Ukraine
Vladimir Putin seemed convinced Kyiv would fall in days. We look back at ten months of war. -
22 Dec 2022
The Interpreter 2022: Your most-read articles
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominated the year. But readers also wanted to know all about Southeast Asia’s elections. -
19 Dec 2022
A focused direction for the Quad
Doubling-down on existing initiatives – rather than new goals – will see the grouping deliver tangible public goods. -
14 Dec 2022
It’s complicated: psychology and national security decisions
Thinking about the plethora of security threats all at once is hard – which can increase the risk of bias intruding. -
9 Dec 2022
US-Australia alliance: beyond sentiment
Of supporters or sceptics alike, new research shows most Australians view the alliance via a cost-benefit analysis. -
8 Dec 2022
AUSMIN: the submarine conundrum
It’s a big challenge to manage the ambition for nuclear-powered subs and still juggle other crucial defence decisions. -
8 Dec 2022
We need to talk about war decisions
Australia has just embarked on a parliamentary inquiry into how it makes choices about when and why it goes to war. -
30 Nov 2022
Supporting the kind of region we want
In tougher strategic times, ASEAN stands as a crucial forum to ensure competition doesn’t tip into confrontation. -
24 Nov 2022
Defence and development reviews: bringing parallel tracks together
A cultural change in the way Australia’s approach to the world is formulated and prosecuted. -
22 Nov 2022
India’s military: a tech leap risks a nuclear chasm
India’s conventional military modernisation means grappling with the accelerated danger of nuclear miscalculation. -
17 Nov 2022
Putting a stop to destructive anti-satellite weapons tests
Australia is helping bolster an emerging global norm that will secure space for the benefit of all. -
7 Nov 2022
Australia and B‑21 bombers: less bang for the buck
It’s an expensive habit to think about the military not as a practical tool but as a symbol of strategic intent. -
4 Nov 2022
The real message B‑52s send from northern Australia
Given distances and demands on crew and aircraft, a US bomber fleet near Darwin amounts to only modest change. -
2 Nov 2022
B-52 bombers only part of a very long Australian story
A revamp of RAAF Tindal for the nuclear-capable aircraft creates opportunities well beyond military confidence building. -
25 Oct 2022
Australia’s shared security in the Indian Ocean
As two littoral states with significant sway, Australia and India can act as a conduit to link regional groupings. -
12 Oct 2022
If Russia breaks the nuclear taboo
Would the use of a lower yield atomic weapon really prompt the same catastrophic logic of escalation? -
4 Oct 2022
Philippines’ subs: the AUKUS inspiration
Manila can make its mark in the Indo-Pacific by choosing its friends, and its maritime deterrents, strategically. -
28 Sep 2022
Buying the wrong submarine
Being able to sink ships doesn’t end a war. Australia should consider ballistic nuclear missile subs as an alternative. -
21 Sep 2022
Guterres whistles in the wind
Yes, “our planet is burning”, yet those leaders with the power to act are stubbornly guarding their own little patch. -
19 Sep 2022
Blue-sky thinking on the Defence Strategic Review
A broader view of security offers enormous potential benefits for Australia. -
13 Sep 2022
Has Southeast Asia warmed to AUKUS one year on?
The shock of surprise has faded and a new tone from new voices may ease some concerns. But objections remain. -
12 Sep 2022
AUKUS, one year on
Australians deserve the details of what nuclear-powered submarines mean – for national defence and identity alike. -
29 Aug 2022
Should democracies ever lie?
Is bending the truth sometimes necessary and justified in situations short of war? -
17 Aug 2022
Why can’t Beijing renounce force against Taiwan?
History, nationalism, the Party, deterrence and the military make for a heady mix. -
11 Aug 2022
Economic diplomacy: No free lunches for national security
New foreign investment rules, nuisance tariffs and supply chains are all under scrutiny by the Productivity Commission. -
29 Jul 2022
Can we please have a real debate on nuclear submarines?
It looks suspiciously as if a decision is already made, even with a promised 18-month investigation only half-way done. -
27 Jul 2022
The Quad needs a futures focus
A better – and public – understanding is needed of the cascading effects of regional challenges. -
27 Jul 2022
Semut: Australia’s secret war against the Japanese in Borneo
A reconstruction of incomplete archives reveals one of Australia’s most audacious independent special forces operations. -
27 Jul 2022
France can help Albanese fix AUKUS
Labor faces a dilemma over nuclear-powered subs and the non-proliferation regime. An old partner might offer an answer. -
26 Jul 2022
Answering China’s South China Sea flying safety challenge
A regional response can best manage risks, and the Five Power Defence Arrangement offers just the mechanism.