September
- Exclusive
- Defence
Worries over China help Australia find unlikely allies
A top German navy commander is keen to work more with Australia, as Russia and China deepen their own maritime co-operation.
- Andrew Tillett
- Exclusive
- Defence
Faulty $1.2b navy ships out of action until 2025
Engineers are still trying to determine root causes of engine and drivetrain issues that have stopped the navy from being able to refuel warships at sea.
- Andrew Tillett
August
Austal fights to keep US Navy work after $35m fraud penalty
The Australian defence contractor accepted a $US24 million fine in a plea deal to avoid criminal prosecution after a long-running American investigation.
- Brad Thompson
Ellerston, Bondi’s 1941 Fund backs Australian navy boat builder
Street Talk understands Sydney-based The Whiskey Project has pinned down $5 million to assist with its US expansion and boost its local manufacturing facility.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
July
‘Not a coherent word’: Keating slams PM, Marles over AUKUS
Former prime minister Paul Keating says there has been no proper debate about AUKUS’ impact on Australia’s defence settings, as a new report backs the delivery schedule.
- Tom Rabe
- Opinion
- AUKUS
AUKUS critics fail to match their speculation with substance
There is a long list of loud objections to the project. But how many of them really stand up to scrutiny?
- Ross Babbage
- Exclusive
- AUKUS
‘Show me the evidence’: AUKUS tsar challenges critics
Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead says there will be setbacks but Australia is on track to meet key milestones under AUKUS.
- Andrew Tillett
- Opinion
- Defence
There’s no point dwelling on AUKUS paths not taken
The submarine project needs more constructive criticism, and less grievance from those whose preferences were not followed.
- Justin Burke
- Opinion
- Middle East tensions
Australia goes missing as Red Sea crisis deepens
The Houthis have been remarkably persistent in disrupting global trade. But there is a deeper strategic cost to Australia as well.
- Jennifer Parker
The battle for Australia’s new submarines
A new book reveals the problems Australian political and military leaders faced in making the most important naval acquisition in a generation.
- Andrew Fowler
‘Like lockdown, in a tube’: Aussies taking the plunge in nuclear subs
After up to 18 months of training, three Australian submariners will deploy on British Astute-class boats. It’s a small step on the long road to AUKUS.
- Hans van Leeuwen
- Opinion
- AUKUS
Control of the sea is worth gambling on AUKUS
To any objective observer it is apparent acquiring nuclear-powered submarines has significant advantages for national security. However, these come with major costs and risks.
- Richard Dunley
- Exclusive
- AUKUS
‘A cruel joke’: Why AUKUS might leave Australia stranded
A group of defence experts says that the Albanese government is on course for a financial and strategic AUKUS disaster, in the final part of an exclusive series.
- James Curran
- Investigation
- AUKUS
Morrison’s ‘longest night’: Inside the making of AUKUS
The military agreement is a mess and risks leaving Australia with no submarine capability at all by the late 2030s. The cloak of secrecy that secured the deal could now be its undoing.
- James Curran
June
Hanwha settles into Austal cold war as shipbuilder swaps out chairman
The new chairman at ASX-listed shipbuilder Austal also happens to be the chairman of Joe Hockey’s advisory firm Bondi Partners.
- Updated
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
- Opinion
- Opinion
Time to promote a woman as deputy chief of Navy
The officer second in charge of the Royal Australian Navy will shortly rotate, opening the way for a historic first appointment of a female.
- Jennifer Parker
- Exclusive
- Defence
British, US defence giants create AUKUS one-stop shop
A major business deal will create a new Australian military contractor to support the country’s nuclear submarine ambitions.
- Andrew Tillett
Hanwha tussles with Austal board over ‘unfair’ diligence conditions
Austal’s would-be acquirer reckons that its third indicative bid was at least 15 per cent higher than that of Cerberus Capital Management.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
May
- Opinion
- Defence
Minimise capability gap while waiting for the new fleet to surface
Ten years from now, Australia will have its most potent navy in decades. In the interim, it will have the least capable in more than half a century.
- Jennifer Parker
April
The four Cs: How to rebuild a department after robo-debt
Considered one of Canberra’s best leaders, former navy chief Ray Griggs is now Department of Social Services secretary, helping to rebuild culture after a damning royal commission.
- Tom Burton