The strategic environment has evolved at such a pace that policies announced in 2016 have been overtaken by events. It’s time for a review of Australian defence strategy. It’s time for something new.

The southern-flank portion of the U.S regional alliance network—also known as the ‘San Francisco system’—includes formal bilateral defence treaties with Thailand and the Philippines and the ANZUS defence pact. This report outlines an assessment of how the San Francisco system’s southern flank matters in contemporary U.S strategic policy.

In this ASPI Strategic Insight, Stephanie Copus-Campbell describes her personal history with a key neighbour to Australia’s north and examines the complex and difficult challenges that PNG faces.

Little has changed in the defence funding picture since last year. This year’s budget continues to follow the trajectory of solid real annual increases set out in the 2016 Defence White Paper.

Trust in democratic and other key institutions has declined, and this is compounded by new capabilities of adversaries seeking to interfere in elections and to undermine people’s trust in those institutions. This policy brief explores areas where interference has been detected across the world and considers key learnings from those examples.