Australia has progressively lifted combat restrictions for women since 1990. Focusing on inclusion builds capability—arguments against diverse combat roles distract from genuine security priorities and limit our ability to meet future challenges effectively. Physical standards are the same.

Vaughn Drake Jr. was a 23-year-old Army engineer working in Oahu when Japanese forces attacked the American base. He was on his way to breakfast when he started seeing Japanese planes fly by.

Technological advancements could help bring the US Navy into a new era where piloted and unmanned aircraft operate more closely together, such as with the Navy’s planned AI-operated drone wingmen, known as collaborative combat aircraft.

Australia took the lead in the Five Power Defence Arrangements-Aust, NZ, UK, Singapore and Malaysia showing we have the history, partnerships and capability to shape regional stability—especially when global powers are focused elsewhere.

Despite warnings that tariffs will increase the costs of US defence procurement and affect global supply chains, the Trump administration has imposed punitive tariffs. Military shipbuilding, relying on mammoth quantities of steel could inflate defence budgets.

Despite the semblance of peace negotiations, Moscow continues to try to legitimize Russia’s escalating aggression against Ukraine. Even the Trump administration’s attempts at a ceasefire have been met with excuses and stalling tactics.

Seabed Sentry is a cost-effective, flexible, underwater sensor network promising longer deployments, greater coverage, and real-time communication. The modular design can be used for seabed survey, port security, critical infrastructure protection, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface warfare.

Data can assist in shaping policy and decisions, but there are biases and blind spots in the production of data. Data needs real-world experiences for the depth, context and responsiveness to drive change.

Domestic food production depends on imported inputs including fuel, AdBlue, fertiliser and, increasingly, labour. Covid-19 demonstrated Australia’s exposure to long and fragile supply chains. A National Food Security Strategy committed to by the Government.

Costs, geopolitical uncertainty and climate neutrality pressures are forcing EU steel producers to convert to electrical and hydrogen furnaces. As defence is a major consumer of steel it needs to monitor these costs and outputs.