The Mothership Impact

11/19/2025 When defense analysts discuss "hybrid fleets" combining crewed and uncrewed systems, they inadvertently obscure what may be the most significant transformation in naval warfare since the aircraft carrier displaced the battleship. The term "hybrid" suggests simple addition where manned platforms plus unmanned platforms equals enhanced capability. This mathematical metaphor fundamentally misrepresents the revolution actually unfolding across the world's oceans. The… Read more »

Australia’s Janus Policy: The Critical Minerals Contradiction

11/18/2025 By Robbin Laird Australia faces a strategic contradiction that reveals much about the complexities of navigating major power competition in an economically interdependent world. While Canberra signs billions in critical minerals agreements with Washington to counter Chinese dominance, Australian mines majority-owned by Beijing-backed firms continue supplying raw materials vital for China's hypersonic missiles and nuclear programs. This isn't just policy… Read more »

Kenneth Maxwell: The Historian Who Redefined Our Understanding of the Luso-Brazilian World

11/17/2025 In the landscape of modern historical scholarship, few figures have done more to illuminate the complex relationships between Portugal, Brazil, and the broader Atlantic world than Kenneth Maxwell. Over a career spanning more than five decades, this British-born historian has fundamentally reshaped how we understand the evolution of the Portuguese-speaking world, from the imperial crises of the 18th century to… Read more »

A New Head for the French Armaments Directorate: Major Challenges Ahead

11/14/2025 By Pierre Tran Paris - Patrick Pailloux has been appointed as the head of the Direction Général de l’Armement (DGA), with the senior official taking up Nov. 17 the top job at the arms procurement office, an official notice of the Nov. 10 cabinet meeting said. Pailloux, a former officer of the DGSE foreign intelligence service, will take over from… Read more »

Australia’s Maritime Future in Focus: State of Play and Strategic Transformation

11/13/2025 Australia stands at a maritime crossroads. The choices it makes in the coming years will shape not only its security and economic prosperity, but also the stability of the wider Indo-Pacific region. The Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition, as covered in detail by The Australian, showcased this inflection point: expanding geopolitical competition, rapid technological advancement, the urgency of capability development,… Read more »

Speed, Sensors, and Strategic Presence: The Evolution of 2nd Marine Air Wing

11/11/2025 In 2007, an MV-22 Osprey touched down on the deck of HMS Illustrious, marking the first time this distinctive tiltrotor aircraft had landed on a non-American vessel. The moment was more than a technical milestone. It was a preview of a transformation that would reshape Marine Corps aviation over the next two decades. This landing on a British carrier signaled… Read more »