Space security after Obama (Malcolm Davis, The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/space-security-obama/

With Duterte dealing with China, Australia should offer advisers (Malcolm Davis, Anthony Bergin, The Australian, ASPI)

https://www.aspi.org.au/opinion/with-duterte-dealing-with-china,-australia-should-offer-advisers

Spaceplanes on the high frontier (Malcolm Davis, The Strategist)

A transformation in military space capabilities is occurring hundreds of kilometres above the Earth’s surface as the US Air Force X-37B Space Plane logs over 500 days in orbit in its latest mission. The unmanned X-37B Space Plane is designed for long-endurance missions that are highly classified. It’s officially referred to as the ‘Orbital Test Vehicle’, and is described as a platform for testing ‘reusable spacecraft technologies for America’s future in space and operating experiments which can be returned to, and examined, on Earth.’ A total of four missions have been flown since April 2010, with the fourth in progress since 20th May 2015. It’s designed to be launched on an expendable Atlas V booster, and there are currently two operational X-37Bs in the USAF’s inventory.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/spaceplanes-high-frontier/

Replacing the Rhino (Malcolm Davis, The Strategist)

The 2016 Defence White Paper (DWP16) signals that ‘options to replace the Super Hornets in the late 2020s will be considered in the early 2020s in the light of developments in technology and the strategic environment and will be informed by our experience in operating the Joint Strike Fighters’. As Andrew Davies and I previously argued, rather than rushing such a decision, Australia should pause to consider exploiting the revolutionary potential offered by Unmanned Combat Air Systems (UCAS). In this regard, it’s worth looking at the USAF’s Air Superiority 2030 (AS-2030) Flight Plan, which is the latest American perspective on the future of air power.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/replacing-the-rhino/

Duterte plays poker (Malcolm Davis, The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/duterte-plays-poker/

UCAS and the RAAF’s future (Malcolm Davis, The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/ucas-raafs-future/

Unmanned air combat—how soon is too soon? (Andrew Davies, Malcolm Davis, The Strategist)

After the Abbott government approved the purchase of 72 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters for the RAAF, its fast jet capability was locked in for years to come. From around 2020, the F-35s will join 24 Super Hornets (delivered from 2010) and 12 Growler electronic attack aircraft (delivered from 2015). Project AIR 6000, under which the F-35s are being acquired, still has one squadron of aircraft to acquire in the future, but the RAAF will have one of the youngest fast jet fleets in the world from the early 2020s.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/unmanned-air-combat-soon-soon-2/

A strategy for Australia in space (Malcolm Davis, The Strategist)

Australia uses satellites to support national defence, economic, and scientific activities, but isn’t a ‘space power’ that can provide independent space systems for national needs. The Department of Industry, Innovation and Scientific Research’s 2015 ‘State of Space Report’ and Australian Satellite Utilisation Policy limits Australia to providing ground infrastructure, and establishing regulatory frameworks to use other states’ satellites and foreign commercial space capabilities. The 2016 Defence White Paper and Integrated Investment Program goes a bit further, and suggests ‘potential investment in space-based sensors’ for the mid-2020s to the late-2030s but the language is vague, and funding for such a capability is proverbial ‘low-hanging fruit’.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/strategy-australia-space/

ADF capability snapshot 2016: C4ISR—winning in the networked battlespace (Andrew Davies, Malcolm Davis, ASPI)

https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/adf-capability-snapshot-2016-c4isrwinning-in-the-networked-battlespace

Robots on your wing: RAAF and the unmanned future (Malcolm Davis, ASPI The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/robots-wing-raaf-unmanned-future/

What does Rodrigo Duterte mean for South China Sea tensions? (Malcolm Davis, ASPI The Strategist)

Rodrigo Duterte’s victory in the Philippines’ Presidential elections has introduced new uncertainty into Asia’s security outlook.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/what-does-rodrigo-duterte-mean-for-south-china-sea-tensions/

Air Power 2020: Raptor redux? (Malcolm Davis, ASPI The Strategist)

The Australian defence community has been rightly focused this past fortnight on the Turnbull Government’s announcement of the winner—France’s DCNS—of the Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP) to secure the contract for building Australia’s future submarine. But some interesting developments in terms of future air combat capabilities are occurring in the US which are also deserving of our attention—particularly given their potential bearing on Australia’s future air combat capabilities.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/air-power-2020-raptor-redux/

A ‘Trumpian’ world? Australia’s defence, regional security and nuclear proliferation (Malcolm Davis, ASPI The Strategist)

In analysis of US Grand Strategy under a future President Trump, Rod Lyon warns about a reversal of the US rebalance to Asia, noting ‘turbulent waters lie ahead’, and echoing concerns aired by Kim Beazley and Peter Jennings.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/a-trumpian-world-australias-defence-regional-security-and-nuclear-proliferation/

Seeing the dragon on our doorstep (part 1) (Malcolm Davis, ASPI The Strategist)

A key challenge in the coming years for Australia will be the PLA’s growing ability to project military power beyond what Chinese military thinkers deem to be the first and second island chains (see map below).

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/seeing-the-dragon-on-our-doorstep-part-1/

Beijing’s defence spending cut may still trigger an arms race (Malcolm Davis, ASPI, The Australian)

China’s National People’s Congress announced another increase in defence spending over the weekend, with large investments in military modernisation.

https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/opinion/beijings-defence-spending-cut-may-still-trigger-an-arms-race

To Mach 5 and beyond: the age of high speed warfare (Malcolm Davis, ASPI The Strategist)

Of all the potentially transformational military technologies that will appear over the next 10 years, hypersonic strike weapons, and ultimately, hypersonic platforms, could radically transform future military operations as well as open up the prospect of cheaper and more responsive access to space. The United States, Russia (here and here), China (its programmes discussed below) and India (and here) as well as Australia (here and here) all have R&D projects aimed at developing hypersonic propulsion or understanding the science of hypersonics.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/to-mach-5-and-beyond-the-age-of-high-speed-warfare/