SOVEREIGNTY
Bougainville: Independence at Last?
Birthing a nation-state at a time when the old rules are less secure than they were.
STRATEGY & INTELLIGENCE
STRATEGIC TRAJECTORIES | Is Beijing’s Relative Position Declining in the Pacific?
Internal challenges within the US and the PRC seem more likely than external events to determine the overall outcome of their strategic competition, but the broader Pacific context now seems to be nudging incrementally in favor of the US/Western position.
AUKUS alliance
Strategic Architecture: An Evolution in the Pacific
A new geopolitical bloc is forming in Oceania, and it may be strategically significant.
STRATEGY & INTELLIGENCE
The View from 1997: New Strategic Environments Demand a New Doctrinal View
The global military environment has, with the political division of the world, changed dramatically since 1990. But military doctrine, and the tools to cope with the new world, are still insufficiently developed.
STRATEGIC PHILOSOPHY
Strategic Philosophy: Cratocide of the Republics?
The transformation of the global strategic architecture is well advanced, bringing with it the slow death of some of the structures begun in the industrial revolution, and the slow birth or re-birth of identities seeking sovereign security.
DIPLOMACY, ALLIANCES & TREATIES
AUKUS: Operational Vitality; Strategic Challenges
Operationally, the AUKUS alliance is moving rapidly to create an integrated global power projection instrument. But it is very different at the political level, where politicians appear to be distracted by other agendas.
GOVERNANCE & ELECTIONS
STRATEGIC TRAJECTORIES | The Pivotal Return of Strategic Vision to the South-West Pacific
The return to the Fijian leadership of Prime Minister Rabuka is a great blow to the interests of the People’s Republic of China in the South-West Pacific, but much needs to be done, quickly, to solidify his ability to retain power in the face of opponents prepared to take extreme measures.
DIPLOMACY, ALLIANCES & TREATIES
Alliances: Know When to Fold 'em
We cling to old alliances as we cling to childhood blankets, and treat them just as badly. But do we understand them, and their finite lifespans and purposes?
PERSONNEL
Key Transitions and Defense and Intelligence Appointments - 08/2022
PERSONNEL
Key Transitions and Defense and Intelligence Appointments - 07/2022
SECURITY, UNREST & WAR
EN CLAIR | The South Pacific: A War to Start All Wars?
Beijing ups its Indo-Pacific thrust while the West diverts its resources into Europe.
HARDWARE, WEAPONRY & TECHNOLOGY
STRATEGIC TRAJECTORIES | Australia’s New Government: Ramifications for the Indo-Pacific
It is unlikely that a domestically-built Australian SSN will ever be launched. But, after about seven decades, the nuclear power debate is now on in Australia. So the Royal Australian Navy may acquire Virginia-class SSNs while Australian unmanned, autonomous submarines evolve.