This paper by Group Captain Stephen Meredith examines the challenges likely to be faced by a reunified Korean peninsula. It does not speculate on how such reunification might eventuate, other than noting that the commonly‐discussed scenarios range from military conflict through to peaceful…

This paper examines the impact of climate change on Australia, and whether there are lessons and opportunities for cooperation from China's experience. It contends that Australia is seemingly out of alignment with the international community in addressing climate change, not least because Australia…

This 2013 paper by Colonel Mick Lehmann analyses the potential for major conflict in the South China Sea (SCS) between the US and China in the coming decade, particularly given its description as 'a major flashpoint for potential conflict'. It examines the importance of the SCS, particularly to the…

This paper by Rebecca Shrimpton examines the limitations of 'realism' as a theoretical framework for understanding China, using John Mearsheimer's approach as a case study. It disputes his hypothesis that China cannot rise peacefully; that intense security competition with the US will emerge; and…

The central thesis of this paper by Superintendent Jason Byrnes is that the US‐led intervention in Afghanistan, a major part of the so‐called 'War on Terror' that has dominated international relations since 2001, has failed to deliver greater stability to Afghanistan and its immediate region.…

This paper by Group Captain Philip Tammen examines ASEAN's regional approach to energy security, which is based on an active agenda of regional collaboration, seeking to minimise the duplication of infrastructure while promoting economic development. The paper considers conventional energy sources…

This paper examines the accelerating security ties between Australia and Japan, particularly over the past decade. It contends that for Australia, the impetus to strengthen security ties with Japan is largely driven by concern to shape an acceptable rules-based order. It argues that changes to…

This paper by Brigadier Tony Rawlins examines the wisdom of Australia's contemporary mindset, that middle‐ power Australia can moderate and influence the US and China to national advantage, against Thucydides' classic realist backdrop that the strong do as they can while the weak adjust accordingly…

Since the 1970s, the Australian Defence Force has taken an increasingly joint approach to the planning and conduct of operations, the management of the current force and the design of the future force. This paper reviews that joint approach, identifying underlying key joint principles. It…

For much of the past 100 years, interest in the Antarctic has been limited mainly to environmental groups, explorers and scientists. More recently, however, it has received increased attention as nations seek solutions to the challenges of climate change, energy, water and food security.…

This paper analyses the politics and policy of the defence relationship between Australia and the UK in the context of Britain's recent decision to leave the EU. It focuses on the political systems, interaction of political leaders, and narratives of Australia, the UK and nations of the Indo-…

This paper examines the possible implications for Australia of the fragile Japan-China relationship, arguing that Australia has significant interests at stake in both countries and that these may be harmed by deteriorating ties between them. It specifically addresses the issue of the foreign policy…

This paper analyses interests, policies and actions of Australia and China with respect to the South Pacific island nations, in particular those members of the Pacific Islands Forum. The paper cautions that China's influence in the South Pacific should not be over-stated. However, it also suggests…

The 2021 Profession of Arms Seminar on the subject of Australian civil-military relations was intended to revive interest in a neglected but important field of study. For four decades, the field of Australian civil-military relations has been an outlier in defence scholarship, a situation, which…

This paper examines the role of defence diplomacy in providing 'ballast' to the relationship between Australia and Indonesia. It contends that Australia has implemented many policies over the past three decades that have had limited success in helping to avoid serious ructions in Australia's…

Joint Studies Paper Series No. 3, edited by Dr Aaron P. Jackson, comprises eight diverse papers by Australian and international authors that examine the practice and theory of design thinking in a military context and its potential application to the Australian Defence Force. Together they provide…

This paper contends that India is re-emerging as a major regional power. Its greater influence and security responsibilities in the Indo-Pacific region have led Australia to seek ways to enhance its defence relationship with India. While noting that positive outcomes are already being achieved as a…

This paper asserts that the large size of Tonga's exclusive economic zone poses challenging problems for the government in managing the area's maritime resources and providing effective security of the region. It also notes that Tonga's geographic isolation, sparse population and weak economy make…

This paper examines the potential for Australia and France to develop closer defence engagement. It contends that both have similar strategic interests, equally focused on regional stability and the rule of law, and that they have similar policy positions for how to achieve these goals. It also…

This paper addresses the question of whether China's assertiveness in the South China Sea is likely to affect Australia's national interests over the next ten years. It notes that China has been demonstrating increasingly-assertive behaviour in the South China Sea, which has the potential to affect…

This paper addresses the issue of methamphetamine supply into Australia, aiming to identify viable options to reduce the amount of the drug and its chemical precursors that enter the country, particularly originating from China. It contends that the situation in Australia is quite drastic,…

This paper by Group Captain Mark Green analyses the capabilities that India's military modernisation program intends to acquire by 2025, and assesses the impact of these options on Australia's security interests in the Indian Ocean. It contends that a number of scenarios are possible for the use…

This paper examines why Afghanistan is important to Australia, and what Australia can do to address the causes of instability in that country. It argues that Afghanistan is a key element of the regional security dynamic of South Asia, and that it has the potential to adversely affect the security…

This paper addresses the question of whether jihadist-salafism, an extreme and violent wing of militant Sunni Islam, will present a security challenge to law and order in Indonesia in the next ten years. It acknowledges that the Indonesian government has made great strides against jihadi-salafists…

This paper argues that while the world has enjoyed an absence of violent great power rivalry and widespread conflict since the end of the Second World War, the international system that has overseen this remarkable period of stability is now under threat. It asserts that Australia needs a revised…

This paper examines Salafi-jihadism as a strategic issue driving the threat of Sunni Islamic terrorism globally. By tracing the genealogy of Salafism from the early centuries of Islam to the rise of Salafi-jihadism in the 1980s, it debunks the rejection of Salafi-jihadists' claims to legitimacy as…

This paper by Air Commodore Philip Tammen assesses if the energy policy options currently being considered in Japan are likely to deliver energy security in the period to 2030. It examines the resource geography of Japan, contrasting it with the economic activity on which the nation relies. It…

This paper examines the various policy options that Australia could pursue to reduce tensions and work towards stabilisation and ultimate resolution of the ongoing disputes in the South China Sea. It argues that the South China Sea is a region of considerable importance to Australia's national…

This paper argues that the lack of reconciliation between Japan and its neighbours, particularly China and South Korea, is an issue of increasing significance in today's changing geostrategic environment. It asserts that Japan's recent decision to adopt collective self defence in specific…

This paper presents a policy approach designed to mitigate the threat from Salafi-jihadi ideology in Australia. Instead of the traditional policy approach of targeting adults who may be vulnerable, or seeking to correct Salafi ideology at a late stage, it argues that policy-makers should complement…