This Quick Guide provides an overview of the Australian naval shipbuilding industry since the 2013 federal election. Specifically, three key questions are addressed: What is the current status of naval shipbuilding and sustainment within Australia? What are the positions of Australian political parties and independents regarding naval shipbuilding? What is likely to be done in...

Through the Australian Defence Force Gap Year program and the preceding Ready Reserve scheme, Australian school-leavers have had the opportunity to experience full-time military training without the obligations of longer-term initial periods of service. This paper analyses these programs, assessing their respective characteristics, identifying both supporters and detractors, and highlighting various challenges. Introduction During the...

This research paper addresses some of the key military, political, and diplomatic aspects of Australia’s drawdown in Afghanistan, and provides some early indications as to what the post-2014 mission could look like. Introduction Australia first sent troops to conduct operations in Afghanistan in 2001, as part of a multinational response targeting al-Qaeda in response to...