This working paper takes a historical look at Australia's Pacific policy, and makes suggestions for change.

This paper examines criticisms of Australia’s strategic shift towards an outgoing defence posture within Asia.

Thirty years ago, the Soviet Union and the United States stood on the brink of nuclear war. The Communist Party leadership in Moscow was convinced that Washington was about to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike, which would require a massive nuclear response.

In the last 65 years, India and Pakistan have been unable to resolve their differences and develop a normal good neighbourly relationship, which could have benefitted people on both sides of the border. There have been several attempts to initiate a sustainable peace process, but most were either stillborn or abandoned in their infancy.

Thirteen years on from the release of the 2000 Defence white paper (D2000), we're still waiting for some of the major ADF capabilities it announced to be realised. This paper reviews the 31 major capability announcements made back then.