By Robbin Laird and Kenneth Maxwell The discourse surrounding contemporary international relations has become dominated by the phrase “great power competition,” yet this framing may fundamentally mischaracterize the nature of today’s global order. While policymakers and analysts frequently invoke this term to describe the strategic rivalry between the United States…
By Pierre Tran Paris – Britain and France were seen as reviving close ties between their services and arms industries, following President Emmanuel Macron meeting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street on July 9, the start of a three-day state visit to the U.K. Britain and France signed…
By Robbin Laird Alan Dupont’s recent analysis published in The Australian presents a clear warning about Australia’s foreign policy trajectory. In his view, Australia is dangerously drifting toward China while simultaneously weakening its foundational alliance with the United States. This drift, he argues, threatens to leave Australia in a “national…
As tensions in the South China Sea reach new heights, the United States and Philippines are dramatically expanding their military cooperation through a combination of new infrastructure projects and cutting-edge unmanned systems. The United States plans to fund and construct a facility capable of hosting watercraft and assault boats on…
By Robbin Laird The AUKUS partnership stands at a critical juncture. Born from the vision of three leaders who have since left the political stage, this ambitious trilateral alliance centers on one of the most complex defense undertakings in modern history: enabling Australia, a non-nuclear nation, to operate nuclear-powered attack…
By Robbin Laird I have been coming to Australia since 2014 and writing the seminar reports for the Sir Richard Williams Foundation bi-annual seminar reports. I have done so because of my deep commitment to the U.S.-Australian relationship but more generally because of my concern with the rise of multi-polar…
Ukraine’s defense of its homeland has demonstrated a remarkable evolution in modern military strategy, showcasing how a defending nation can leverage both established military doctrine and cutting-edge innovation to counter a numerically superior adversary. The Ukrainian approach represents a new paradigm in what we might call a hybrid operational force…
While Taiwan tensions are often viewed through a U.S.-China lens, the gravest strategic consequences would fall on Japan and the Philippines. Chinese control of Taiwan would fundamentally alter the regional balance, potentially isolating both nations and forcing them into accommodation with Chinese regional dominance regardless of U.S. positions. Taiwan’s location…
