The Edge

US Defense Implications of Expanding China

This U.S. DoD report assesses China’s global expansion efforts and the implications for the U.S. in terms of military access, logistics, force posture and training. The report has generated discussion and various assessments can be found online across the national security community.

Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) - What's the Story?

Dr. Heather Skousgaard gives an excellent, easily accessible taster to the importance of cultural intelligence (CQ) and why it is nested within the Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) continuum. Stay engaged for further discussion on this topic by Dr. Skousgaard on the Forge!

Australian Interagency Preparedness Framework

As Australia’s involvement in international response and recovery operations has increased over the past decade, so has the number of government agencies contributing specialist capabilities and expertise to these operations. In this context, the need for effective interaction and enhanced preparedness between agencies is crucial to the success and effectiveness of operations.

Thucydides Trap: A lesson in strategy and chance from ancient Greece

Future of Logistics Systems in Defence

Logistics! Its not something we usually think about. Not many people understand the concept, or its impact on the progress of society. It is the lifeblood of economy – of any home, organisation, city or country.

Leave No Dark Corner

This article explores high-tech surveillance systems being used in China to monitor and shape its population. The technology demonstrates China’s push to become the world leader in artificial intelligence.

Social Contracts and the Australian Civil-Military Relationship

In Australia, troop deaths in combat remind the public of the terms of employment of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and raise the question of commensurate compensation. One community group is committed to the task of developing a ‘military covenant’ to articulate these terms and compensations based on the idea that the ‘unique nature’ of military service is an invocation of a social contract. But is a social contract really at the heart the Australian civil-military relationship?

Where should we focus our security efforts?

Australians have fought in global conflicts for over a century. We’re in Afghanistan and the Middle East still. The argument is that these far-away wars advance our national interest. But is Australian security better served by focussing on regional alliances?

North Korea’s Military Capability

This article is a Backgrounder document produced by the US Council on Foreign Relations outlining North Korea’s military capabilities with a particular focus on unconventional weapons. The article addresses the current state and source of origin of North Korea’s current arsenal of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their delivery platforms.