The answer is that it does not look like the defence strategy which has been followed throughout most of the post-war period. The threat envelope is quite different. There is no American and Western managed rules-based order dominating the world. There are diverse authoritarian movements and states which follow their…
During my current visit to Australia, both at the 11 April Williams Foundation Seminar and in my interviews and discussions, there is a clear concern for ramping up ADF capabilities now. In addition to any longer term additive capabilities, it is crucial in the evolving strategic context to find ways…
By Robbin Laird The first of two seminars of the Sir Richard Williams Foundation in 2024 was held on 11 April 2024 at the National Gallery of Australia. The seminar was entitled, "The Multi-Domain Requirements of an Australian Maritime Strategy", and the aim of the seminar was identified as follows:…
By Kenneth Maxwell My observations on Portugal in 1964 typed up on my portable Olivetti typewriter. This evaluation was written ten years before the “Revolution of Carnations” of 1974, when Portuguese junior army officers, tired of endless wars in Africa, overthrew Europe’s oldest dictatorship. This in turn ended Portuguese rule…
By Robbin Laird When shaping a relevant 21st century defence approach, sustainability is a key aspect of any credible effort. Gone are the days where just in time delivery from distant global supply chains is an effective means for deployed defense assets. Credible defense capability is built on a foundation…
By Robbin Laird Recently, I talked with my colleague Robert Czulda by video link to get an update on the situation in Poland two years into the war in Ukraine. We started by discussing the war seem from Warsaw. Czulda: “When the Russian invasion first started, there was shock in…
By Pierre Tran Versailles, France - The U.S. defense industry had much to gain if Congress approved swiftly a stalled $61 billion package of military and financial aid for Ukraine, in its fight against “Russian aggression,” the American secretary of state said April 2. Antony Blinken was speaking at the…
By Pierre Tran Paris - The two French frigates on patrol in the Red Sea have fired 22 Aster missiles against drones and ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militia against western shipping, the armed forces minister, Sébastien Lecornu, told March 26 a high profile news conference. The minister disclosed…
