This report examines how China’s military build-up to 2035 might challenge assumptions about Australian security by scrutinising China’s long-range military capabilities today and in a decade’s time. It identifies shifts that affect Australian security regardless of China’s capacity to strike Australian territory.

This report discusses the failure of Western military institutions, including in Australia, to learn from modern wars, while other countries do. The paper’s five recommendations address culture change, promotion reform, AI-enabled learning, rapid drone capability development, and acquisition reform.

This report analyses how Australia can translate its strategic focus on the north into operational capability and sustained defence outcomes. It argues for treating the north as an integrated operating system capable of generating, sustaining and scaling combat power. The report highlights key constraints and the need for stronger alignment across defence, government and industry.

The development of Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) – such as high energy laser and high-power microwave weapons – offers the Australian Defence Force a future solution to countering the growing threat of drones, but also missile threats. This explainer explores the nature of DEW and considers what steps Australia is taking in this field.

Northern Australia sits at the centre of Australia’s defence strategy. Defence activity in the north is increasingly tied to regional economic stability, infrastructure development and the growth of defence-supporting industries. Yet Australia’s northern defence posture has moved through cycles of attention and neglect. This report introduces a new conceptual framework to close that gap.