P&I today begins a major new series – rethinking Australia’s foreign policy. The United States is becoming more erratic and less reliable, and Australia must respond by insulating itself – strengthening regional ties, rethinking defence settings, and reducing strategic dependence, according to John Menadue.
Category: Defence
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AUKUS and the sunk cost trap beneath the surface
As warfare shifts decisively toward autonomous and distributed systems, Australia’s massive investment in nuclear submarines risks locking in a costly and inflexible strategy. (more…)
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Ben Roberts‑Smith is accused of five war crime murder charges. How did we get here?
The charging of Ben Roberts-Smith marks a significant moment in Australia’s war crimes investigations, highlighting both legal obligations and the challenges of accountability. (more…)
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The world is drifting towards a new nuclear arms race
With arms control agreements collapsing and arsenals expanding, the risk of nuclear war – deliberate or accidental – is rising in a fragile global environment.
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The legal logic behind Israel and Iran’s nuclear divide
The difference between Israel and Iran on nuclear weapons is not a legal contradiction – but a result of how international law is structured around state consent.
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Iran’s target list: taking the war to multinationals
Major corporations are increasingly entangled in modern warfare, blurring the line between civilian infrastructure and military targets.
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Does Iran already have a nuclear deterrent?
Iran may already have the materials and delivery systems to deter a nuclear strike – raising the stakes in an escalating conflict. (more…)
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Crippling or buttressing Iran’s nuclear ambition – Part 2
In a new three-part series, Ramesh Thakur examines dimensions of the Iran war. In part two, he analyses how the US-Israeli war may affect Iran’s nuclear capacity and ambitions.
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The lies that fuel war
The Albanese government’s support for the US–Israel war on Iran rests on claims about nuclear threat, humanitarian intent and non-involvement that do not withstand scrutiny.
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Australia’s dangerous blind spot in Southeast Asia
In this excerpt from his Quarterly Essay, Michael Wesley argues Australia has misread a changing world – clinging to old assumptions, over-relying on the US alliance, and overlooking the growing strategic importance of Southeast Asia.
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Australia’s six pathways to the war with Iran: Part 2
From military bases to diplomacy and defence manufacturing, Australia’s long-standing ties are drawing it further into the US–Israel war on Iran. (more…)
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Australia’s six pathways to the war with Iran: Part 1
Australia is already deeply involved in the US–Israel war on Iran, through intelligence, military deployments and long-standing strategic commitments. (more…)
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AI’s inclination to ‘go nuclear’
Studies show AI systems used in military scenarios tend to escalate conflicts, raising serious concerns about their role in decisions involving nuclear weapons.
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AUKUS: So many questions, so few answers
The Australian public deserve to understand the implications of the Morrison/Albanese secretive, AUKUS agreement. (more…)
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Off to war in West Asia we go (again)
Deploying an RAAF Wedgetail to West Asia risks making Australia a co-belligerent in the US-Israel war against Iran while exposing the country to serious strategic and economic consequences.
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How US bases make Australia part of the Iran war
Australia’s role in supporting the US-Israel war against Iran with the hosting of a string of US military bases across the country is a critical contribution to the US war machine. (more…)
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A vessel of lies: Australian sailors implicated in the Iran War
Australian personnel aboard a US nuclear submarine during an attack on an Iranian vessel highlight the deeper implications of AUKUS – and the risk of Australia being drawn into American wars.
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Australia needs to read its own geography
As Australia deepens its alignment with Washington through AUKUS and expanded military integration, it risks compromising the regional trust and autonomy that underpin its long-term prosperity and security. (more…)
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How consultocracy became a national security blind spot
Espionage today is less about weapons than insider access to economic policy. Australia’s muted response to the PwC scandal reveals a serious failure to treat economic intelligence as a core national security asset.
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How the United States built the world’s biggest military machine
Since 1945, one country has carried out a conventional military buildup unmatched in scale, cost and global reach. Claims about recent rivals distract from the historical record of how modern military dominance was built.
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The world is drifting back towards unconstrained nuclear danger
With the expiration of the New START treaty and the erosion of arms control agreements, the safeguards that once limited nuclear danger are rapidly disappearing – despite decades of evidence that restraint reduces catastrophic risk. (more…)
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Will Japan’s remilitarisation drag us into a war?
Japan’s rapid rearmament marks a decisive break with its post-war pacifist stance. As regional tensions sharpen, Australia and New Zealand must decide whether alignment offers security or invites new risks.
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Handshake diplomacy with Prabowo won’t secure shared values
Australia’s new security treaty with Indonesia is heavy on symbolism but light on substance. As President Prabowo Subianto tightens his grip on power, warm rhetoric from Canberra risks obscuring growing democratic regression and human rights abuses. (more…)
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India’s submarine deal shows what due diligence looks like
India’s decision to buy conventionally powered submarines from Germany highlights a sharp contrast with Australia’s AUKUS pathway on cost, capability and planning. (more…)
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Australia unlikely to follow US downgrade on China threat
The US National Defense Strategy signals a softer, more pragmatic approach to China. Australia’s silence on the shift exposes how detached its defence posture has become from both reality and its own national interests. (more…)
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AUKUS from where we are – and why that’s the problem
Australia’s AUKUS submarine program is tied to struggling US and UK shipbuilding systems, escalating costs and political whim, raising questions about whether the right defence choices were ever properly debated.
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Plan B: towards an Australian model of military self-reliance
Australia’s defence posture remains shaped by expeditionary assumptions at a time when alliance guarantees are less certain. Building a credible Plan B requires a renewed focus on territorial defence, resilience and self-reliance. (more…)
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Australia’s Trump reprieve masks a deeper strategic dilemma
Australia may have escaped the worst of Donald Trump’s return to power so far. But beneath the surface, Washington’s shift towards spheres of influence is exposing serious weaknesses in Australia’s strategic posture.
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NATO is failing – and ANZUS is next
NATO is unravelling as shared interests and trust with the United States collapse. For Australia, this raises urgent questions about the future value of ANZUS and related security arrangements. (more…)
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The end of the lucky country’s security fantasy
As the post-war global order unravels, Australia’s long-standing reliance on great and powerful friends is proving dangerously hollow – and the country is unprepared for what comes next. (more…)