The AUKUS program to deliver eight nuclear-powered conventionally armed submarines to Australia is a large, technologically challenging, and industrially demanding venture that has been widely criticised. This report addresses each of those critiques and concludes that some concerns are warranted but others have been ill-informed or driven by outdated assumptions.

The author of this report argues that nuclear-powered submarines will be central to Australia’s defence strategy in contingencies prioritised by the Defence Strategic Review, such as defeating threats of invasion or stand-off attack, countering a naval blockade, and supporting the regional balance of power.

The Australian Government, alongside its AUKUS partners, is implementing an ambitious and complex plan for Australia to field nuclear-powered, conventionally-armed submarines. In this paper, the authors assess whether the AUKUS Optimal Pathway is the best way forward to realise Australia’s strategic interests.

This compilation of essays by United States Study Centre researchers aims to provide a guide on what to expect from a second Biden term versus a second Trump term, as well as what to expect regardless of who takes office.

To build an effective deterrence strategy, Australia needs urgently to improve its skills and understanding of deterrence. This report explains what deterrence is and why it matters. It looks at Australian deterrence policy in practice and at deterrence efforts by some of our partners and allies and it highlights a number of gaps in Australia’s...