It should come as no surprise that Australia will be asked, if not expected, to increase its commitment to its defence by the new Trump administration. In Australia, like America, freedom isn’t free.
The ‘rules-based global order’ now wavers under intense pressure.
Do we seek security from Asia or in Asia? Artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, quantum sensing and encryption, and hypersonic missiles all represent game-changing technologies.
The National Defence Strategy ultimately fulfils its commitments first articulated in the 2024 Defence Strategic Review. Whether capabilities can be delivered fast enough, relative to a changing security environment, remains to be seen.
Talk is ramping up that Japan could be joining AUKUS Pillar II. The move would be a welcome ideological and strategic fit.
Australia needs to think of ways to close the ‘missile gap’ in the short term, a period in which the risk of conflict in our region could potentially be at its greatest.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/author/ian-langford