It is obvious that the Australian Army needs to play a key role in providing longer range fires and active defense both on Australian territory as well as in operations not on Australian soil. This subject was discussed at the recent Williams Foundation Seminar held in Canberra on August 23,…
By Robbin Laird During my five years of visits to Australia, I have had the opportunity to meet with and to talk with Air Commodore Heap several times. As the Commander of the Air Force’s Surveillance Response Group, Air Commodore Heap has had the challenge of leading one of the…
By Robbin Laird The Williams Foundation has held a series of seminars over the past few years, which have progressively looked at the transformation of the Royal Australian Air Force and to the shaping of cross-modernizing Australian Defence Force. Referred to overall as building a fifth generation force, the focus…
By Robbin Laird Sydney, Australia During my August 2018 visit to Australia, I had a chance to meet with and discuss the question of the evolving approach to the defense of Australia with a member of the Australian National University, Andrew Carr. Dr. Carr is working towards the conclusion of…
By Robbin Laird Russia under Putin has been working hard his strategic agenda with regard to the West. At the heart of this strategy has been to reduce the direct threat to Russia posed by NATO and to stop NATO expansion in its tracks. He has been more successful with…
By Robbin Laird Sydney, Australia During my visit to Fleet Base East in Sydney, I had a chance to talk with Captain Leif Maxfield, Deputy Commodore Warfare in the Royal Australian Navy. At Garden Island, two of the latest additions for the RAN can be seen, namely the new amphibious…
By Kenneth Maxwell It is summer time in the UK. The politicians are away from Westminster but political intrigue remains at fever pitch. The fixation continues to be Brexit. The deadline for the UK exiting the European Community is fast approaching. But the Conservatives and the Labour Party are deeply…
By Robbin Laird Research Fellow, The Williams Foundation Canberra, Australia As the Chinese challenge grows, Australia is clearly concerned about expanded Chinese influence within Australia and with regard to Chinese efforts to reshape the external environment to expand the influence and power of the Chinese authoritarian state. Clearly the United…
