Analysis - Defence Connect

Forget the personal controversies; how does Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s actual experience compare to his predecessors?

Forget the personal controversies, how does Defense Secretary Hegseth’s actual experience compare to his predecessors?

January 31 2025

The United States’ new Secretary of Defense comes with a lot of personal baggage, but what about his legitimate bona fides? If there are any. ...

Opinion: Australia prides itself on maintaining a small but technologically advanced and well-maintained force; however, the return of “great power competition”...

January 30 2025

Risk management or risk myopia? Changing the ADF’s acquisition risk management culture: Part 2

Opinion: The 2023 Defence Strategic Review identifies shifting a risk-averse culture as a key challenge. Group Captain David Hood emphasises that fostering healthy...

January 29 2025

Risk management or risk myopia? Changing the ADF’s acquisition risk management culture: Part 1

Opinion: Risk aversion and risk management has increasingly been at the forefront of the ADF’s uniformed services, public service and national policymakers, with little...

January 28 2025

Could AUKUS already be dead in the water?

As Trump begins his presidency with a flurry of executive orders and a promise to put America first, should Australia be looking elsewhere for its nuclear submarines?

January 24 2025

Swift death of ‘political sensibility policy’ during Trump’s golden age of America

It is now obvious that the world can expect to move towards a “winner-takes-all” approach following the recent inauguration of the newly re-elected US president,...

January 23 2025

Same dog, same fleas: Resource price outlook once again reveals how fragile Aussie economy is

With global economic headwinds expected to hit Australia’s primary resource exports, the vitality, resilience and long-term prosperity of the Australian economy is once...

January 22 2025

US Air Force chief warns it is time to rapidly rebuild force to confront great power competition

US Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin has issued a challenge for the incoming Trump administration to rebuild the US Air Force as the world’s premier air...

January 21 2025

Which way? Trump 2.0 presents opportunities if we’re brave enough to grab them

As a second Trump administration looms, commentary is rife with alarm over his “disruptive” and “destructive” impact on the global order and...

January 20 2025

Sweden’s ex-prime minister warns Trump over Greenland adventurism

Carl Bildt may see President-elect Trump’s Greenland greed as “flabbergasting”, but he still takes it seriously.

January 17 2025

‘I led then, and I will lead now’: US Defense Secretary hopeful sets out impassioned vision for the future

US Defense Secretary hopeful and US Army veteran Pete Hegseth has engaged in a fiery exchange with US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as he undergoes his extensive...

January 16 2025

‘Money talks, bullshit walks’ assessment is correct, but let’s avoid arbitrary GDP figures

The latest joint Institute of Public Affairs and Strategic Analysis Australia report, so eloquently summarised as “Money talks, bullshit walks”, backed by calls...

January 16 2025

Growing consensus that Australia needs to become more comfortable in confronting our disruptive ‘new normal’

It is no secret that the world is undergoing the mid-stages of labour – the contractions have well and truly kicked in and birth is near – bringing with it an...

January 15 2025

Falling well short: FOI documents reveal shocking state of nation’s fuel security preparedness

Fuel and energy security has rapidly emerged in the public consciousness as one of the most critical and indeed pressing vulnerabilities of Australia. Now, recently released...

January 14 2025

Ukraine must defeat Russia – any other outcome would be a failure for the West

Vladimir Putin cannot be allowed to hold on to even one foot of Ukraine’s sovereign territory, otherwise, he will absolutely pursue another military adventure within...

January 13 2025

The return of the ‘God of War’ – the Army Reserve needs to be re-equipped with 105mm artillery

Opinion: It is widely accepted that in both world wars, majority of combat casualties were caused by artillery. Late in World War II, artillery was so decisive on the Eastern...

January 10 2025

‘Be bold’: Expert calls on next Australian government to address naval capability shortfalls

As the maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific gets ever more contested and competitive, Australia’s status quo approach to defence planning and naval planning, in...

January 09 2025

Big, fast, range and teeth: Beijing’s secretive new fighter reveals to upend global and regional aerial balance of power

While many across the world were nursing post-Christmas food comas, Beijing surprised many with the public unveiling of a number of new combat aircraft, with apparent...

January 08 2025

Art of the deal: Trump’s call for 5% NATO defence spending raises questions about Australia’s own spending targets

US President-elect Donald Trump has hinted that he expects NATO member states to boost defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP in exchange for continuing to support Ukraine...

January 07 2025

What’s in a name? Regional and global tier one and two combatants raise questions

As we officially mark the halfway point of the 2020s, it is becoming clear that Australia’s Navy is in an ever more precarious position despite the findings of the...

January 06 2025