In this Lowy Institute Analysis, Rory Medcalf and James Brown assess Australia’s security environment in coming decades. Defence challenges 2035: securing Australia’s lifelines argues that as the Australian Government prepares its new Defence White Paper it will need to consider growing risks not just to the Australian homeland, but to Australia’s lifelines to the wider world.

Key findings:

• The number and kind of security contingencies that could affect Australia are growing.
• The accumulation of risk to Australia’s interests is greater than at any time since the end of the Cold War. A guiding principle for Australian defence policy will be how to most effectively protect and advance a rules-based order with limited national resources.
• Australian national interests extend well beyond the Australian homeland. Australia’s best defence involves securing its lifelines to the wider world.