Clearing Strategic Space: But the Venezuela Intervention Needs a Comprehensive Follow-on Strategy

02/03/2026 By Robbin Laird The Trump Administration decision to intervene in Venzuela was certainly a decisive act. But acts are not strategies. My own sense is that the intervention opened up new strategic possibilities. To explore this idea, I had the chance on January 21, 2026 to talk with one of the most articulate analysts of the issue, Gilbert Guerra. Gil… Read more »

Rear Admiral Ed Gilbert and the Coast Guard’s Strategic Voice: Shaping the National Security Narrative

02/02/2026 During the first Obama Administration, as American defense policy pivoted toward Asia and grappled with budget pressures following the financial crisis, a critical question emerged: Where did the United States Coast Guard fit in the nation's strategic framework? For decades, the Coast Guard had operated somewhat in the shadows of national security discussions, its contributions often underappreciated or misunderstood by… Read more »

The Dangerous Divide: Australia’s Two Voices on the China Challenge

01/29/2026 By Robbin Laird November 2025 articles published in The Australian reveal a troubling disconnect at the heart of Australian policy toward China, one that raises fundamental questions about how democracies should respond to authoritarian pressure while maintaining essential economic relationships. The contrast between Foreign Minister Penny Wong's carefully calibrated diplomatic messaging and the stark, unvarnished warnings from Australia's intelligence chiefs… Read more »

Beyond Professional Forces: The Imperative of Whole-of-Society Defence

01/28/2026 By Robbin Laird My latest book on Australian defence has focused on the significant challenge facing liberal democracies to develop credible defense in depth capabilities that extend far beyond traditional force structures to encompass whole-of-society considerations. The contemporary security environment demands a fundamental reimagining of how nations prepare for, deter, and respond to existential threats. The lessons learned from ongoing… Read more »

John Blackburn and the Resilience Challenge

01/27/2026 John Blackburn, Air Vice Marshal (Retired) of the Royal Australian Air Force, stands as a leading Australian figure in advancing the discourse on national resilience, from traditional defense concepts to critical infrastructure protection and energy security. His journey, professional background, major published works, and founding of the Institute for Integrated Economic Research Australia (IIER-A) have collectively shaped a new paradigm… Read more »

Fleet Redesign in the Age of Maritime Autonomous Systems

01/23/2026 By Robbin Laird The traditional architecture of naval power centered on capital ships projecting force through manned platforms is approaching obsolescence. Western navies stand at an inflection point where incremental adaptation will no longer suffice. The emergence, proliferation, and rapid development of maritime autonomous systems (MAS) demands nothing less than fundamental redesign of how we conceptualize, organize, and employ naval… Read more »