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Fifty years after Tange, service chiefs have lost too much authority.
Jennifer Parker | 6 March 2026 *Originally published in The Strategist on 6 March 2026 Image: Rodney Braithwaite/Department of Defence . Fifty years after the Tange reforms created the modern Australian Defence Force, Australia faces a structural problem that few are willing to confront: steady erosion of the service chiefs’ authority. Over successive reviews and reorganisations, the chiefs have kept responsibility for generating, preparing and sustaining the Royal Australia
At 125, the Royal Australian Navy enters its most consequential decade
Jennifer Parker | 27 February 2026 Image: Image of the battle cruiser HMAS Australia : Royal Australian Navy Sea Power Centre . 1 March 1901 marked the establishment of Australia’s Commonwealth military and naval forces, the foundation of today’s Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army . The sea service’s initial title was ‘Commonwealth Naval Forces’; a decade later King George V granted the title ‘Royal Australian Navy’. When the new fleet steamed through Sydney Heads in
The Chinese warships Australians never got to debate
Jennifer Parker | 19 February 2026 *Originally published in the Lowy Institutes The Interpreter on 19 February 2026 The silence around a second Chinese naval deployment near Australia cost the public a chance to understand the risks. Image: A People’s Liberation Army-Navy Jiangkai-class frigate of the type that accompanied an amphibious ship (ADF/Defence Imagery) In parliamentary hearings earlier this month, Australia’s Chief of Defence Force confirmed for the first time tha
Defence audit has three crucial faults
5 February 2026 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in The Australian on 5 February 2026 Image: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence the Hon. Richard Marles MP and Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon Peter Khalil MP with Minister for Finance Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher speaking at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. (Kym Smith / Defence Images ) The release of the Defence Estate Audit marks another milestone in the Albanese government’s ef
Reinvigorating Australia’s Naval Reserve
3 February 2026 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Lowy Institute's The Interpreter on 3 February 2026 Image: Royal Australia Navy (Susan Mossop/Defence Images) Australian maritime security is entering a period of profound change. The planned expansion of the Royal Australian Navy’s surface combatant fleet, the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, and the reality of having no strategic warning time are forcing a hard look at how the Navy generates and su
In a fractured world, Australia must rebuild its national power
Jennifer Parker | 23 January 2026 *Originally published in the Australian on 23 January 2026 Image: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney 21 January 2026 (on X) It is not even the end of January, yet 2026 is already marking a decisive break in the global order, and in Australia’s place within it. China ended 2025 with its largest military activity around Taiwan under Exercise Justice Mission. The United States has escalated pressure on Venezuela through a high-profile intervent
Military Coercion is on the Rise and Australia is Vulnerable
Jennifer Parker | 30 November 2025 *Originally Published in the Australian Financial Review on 28 November 2025 We have forgotten what it feels like to face the visceral prospect of attack. Countries that cannot resist coercion will struggle to defend their interests. Image: A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft conducts an aerial display as part of the RAAF Richmond Air Show 2025. Defence Images. Rumours suggest another Chinese naval task group may be he
Beyond AUKUS: The maritime strategy Australia needs
4 November 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Lowy's The Interpreter 4 November 2025 Image: Grappling with how to defend a continent spanning 7.7 million square kilometres can seem overwhelming (Jake Badior/Defence.gov.au) There is growing concern about the shifting geopolitical environment, the increasing use of military force to settle disputes, and what this means for Australia’s future security and prosperity. Grappling with how to defend a continent span
If there’s a war in the Pacific, who defends Australia?
29 August 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 29 August 2025 Image: HMAS Sydney transits as part...
AUKUS: Building confidence in Australia’s submarine pathway
14 July 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in Lowy's Interpreter on 14 July 2025 Image: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for...
NATO’s 5% of GDP defence target ramps up pressure on Australia to spend vastly more
27 June 25 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Conversation on 27 June 2025. Image: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, meets with Minister of National Defence of Canada David McGuinty at the 2025 NATO Leaders’ Summit. (Defence Images) After lobbying by US President Donald Trump, NATO leaders have promised to boost annual defence spending to 5% of their countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035. A NATO statement releas
Would Iran Blockade the Strait of Hormuz?
25 June 25 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 24 June 2025 Image: Strait of Hormuz. Google Maps In...
US strikes on Iran warn adversaries, re-establish deterrence
22 June 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Australian 22 June 2025 Image: US State Department. US press conference...
Trump’s AUKUS review is routine, not a harbinger of collapse
13 June 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 12 June 2025 Image: Deputy Prime Minister and...
To strengthen defence, Canberra and London must turn good will into actual capability
8 May 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in Leading Britain's Conversation on 8 May 2025 Image: Defence Minister Richard Marles...
Why AUKUS remains the right strategy for the future defence of Australia
24 April 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in The Conversation Image: United States Navy Virginia-class submarine USS...
Fewer ‘rat catchers’ risk Defence paralysis
22 April 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Australian Financial Review on 22 April 2025 as part of their election...
Yes, women do belong in frontline combat roles
15 April 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Australian on 15 April 2025 Image: Image of RAAF Corporal Samantha Mead...
Australia’s plan for acquiring nuclear-submarines is on track
2 April 2025 | Jennifer Parker *Originally published in the Australian Financial Review on 2 April 2025 Rather than repeatedly...
Defence spending – A question of capability
24 March 2025 | Jennifer Parker Image: Royal Australian Navy Minehunter Coastal HMAS Diamantina anchors in the Derwent River in support of the 186th Royal Hobart Regatta. (Defence Images) The Australian government has said, and frequently reiterated that we are facing our most ‘ complex and challenging strategic environment since World War II—diplomatic language for a region where conflict is increasingly likely, though not inevitable. That means Australia could soon need th