But other hot spots are emerging or changing in ways that military and political leaders are monitoring closely.

Australia’s fighter jets have ended their business in Iraq and Syria but the 780 or so Australians who remain in Iraq on training and advisory roles will be aware that while the battle against ISIS is ending, they are exposed to a major new offensive of suicide bombings across the country.

Rohingya refugees from Myanmar can be expected to try to push south towards Australia — and will contain an extremist element; the US is potentially facing direct conflict with Assad regime forces in Syria; hidden African wars are busting open; Afghanistan is repeating itself; and the Philippines is far from finished business.

Australian security and strategic experts talk us through the coming year of conflict.

Watching brief …

Fears Russia could seek to annex the former Soviet state of Latvia has seen Canada deploy to the Baltic under NATO; spot battles between Russian-backed rebels and government forces continue unchecked in eastern Ukraine; pro-independence Taiwan fears China is becoming more assertive; the UN anticipates 13.1 million people in the violence-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo will require emergency assistance in 2018; and Zimbabweans will not be denied democracy in the post-Mugabe era.