This report proposes a way for the Australian government to acquire maritime war-fighting capability quickly and affordably while promoting Australian industry and the continuous Naval Shipbuilding Program.

The benefits of autonomous systems on the modern battlefield have been widely recognised, yet the Australian Defence Force has only slowly adopted them. This report recommends how Defence can jump start the transition to greater use of autonomous systems.

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.

This publication contains thirty short essays that cover a vast range of subjects, from the big geostrategic challenges of our times, through to defence strategy; border, cyber and human security; and key emergent technologies.

The transition from the Collins-class submarines to the future submarine fleet will be more complex than any previous capability transition that Defence has undergone. The submarine enterprise will be in constant transition, rather than completing a short, bounded transition process.