The parade highlighted advances in drones, missiles, and artificial intelligence—yet questions remain about the ability to integrate these systems effectively. It also presented Xi, Putin, and Kim in a united front.

The author argues that an effective Pillar II requires ongoing relaxation of export controls, a clearly defined set of objectives, greater facilitation of travel and information sharing, and targeted seed funding for research and development.

The new missiles aren’t aimed at China. Instead, they reflect domestic priorities: protecting the planned capital in Borneo, managing West Papua concerns, and reinforcing overlapping claims with Malaysia. First Southeast Asian state with ballistic missiles.

Southeast Asia is diversifying defence partnerships amid US-China rivalry, engaging middle powers like Australia, Japan, India, and South Korea. These broader ties strengthen autonomy, resilience, and military capacity; shaping regional security balances and interoperability.

The on-going war between Russia and Ukraine has become the world’s testing ground for drone and un-crewed warfare. From FPV strike drones to AI-enabled systems, innovation has redefined tactics, logistics, and survivability.

The U.S. Army is exploring the Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML) to replace Typhon’s oversized design, offering medium and heavy variants capable of launching offensive and defensive missiles with semi-autonomous, rapidly deployable configurations.

The U.S. Army is developing a Modular Mission Payload electronic warfare kit that is lighter, platform-agnostic, and interoperable, enabling rapid fielding across multiple systems as part of the Army Transformation Initiative.

The U.S. Air Force is testing Red 6’s Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) on F-16s, projecting simulated adversaries and friendly assets onto pilots’ helmets to enhance training, reduce costs, and address pilot shortages.

STS Defence will supply communications masts for the Royal Australian Navy’s first three Hunter class frigates. The design is based on the communications mast supplied for the UK Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigates.

The author argues a forum for senior officials and/or elected leaders from Australia, Japan, NZ, South Korea and the UK meeting on an annual basis could enhance their influence, strengthen shared values, and build resilience.