Naval Warfare
AUKUS – Sweet in the mouth, bitter in the belly (Opinion)
Australia is looking at decades before receiving its first nuclear-powered submarines. But surely there are faster options available?
Defence Notes
Asia-Pacific experiences a missile frenzy (Opinion)
There has been a flurry of activity in the missile realm, with the Asia-Pacific region set to bristle even more with these dangerous weapons.
Defence Notes
Afghanistan is a wake-up call for US defence establishment (Opinion)
The world has been shocked by the US and allies departing Afghanistan with their tails between their legs. The abandonment is symptomatic of serious problems within the US defence establishment.
Defence Notes
Aviation safety has patchy record in Southeast Asian militaries (Opinion)
Asia-Pacific air safety is under the spotlight after two deadly crashes of military aircraft in the Philippines in the past month.
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Naval Warfare
The Nanggala tragedy and naval sustainability in southeast Asia (Opinion)
23rd June 2021
The tragic loss of an Indonesian submarine sends a timely reminder for all that submarines are more than a shiny plaything, and that they need lifetime investment.
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Defence Notes
Myanmar earns perennial pariah status in SE Asia (Opinion)
13th May 2021
Is Myanmar descending into civil war as the country's ruthless military crack down on all opposition and continue to battle ethnic armed groups?
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Naval Warfare
Indian Ocean – the dragon’s new swimming hole
16th April 2021
The Indian Ocean region is hotting up as an arena for great power competition, as China boosts its presence there.
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Defence Notes
A welcome but belated US response to the ‘China threat’
19th March 2021
'Strategic competition' is the name of the game in the Asia-Pacific region, as China throws its considerable weight around.
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Defence Notes
Southeast Asia does not want to choose — but it may not have to
22nd February 2021
Security from the US and commerce with China. Southeast Asia wants to have it both ways, but can it?
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Defence Notes
Taiwan is piggy in the middle amidst Sino-US competition
15th January 2021
A strategic 'Great Game' is going on between China and the US, with Taiwan unfortunately stuck in the middle and under pressure.
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Air Warfare
How does China’s leadership view its fighter pilots?
21st December 2020
There is a trust deficit between the leaders of the Chinese Communist Party and the nation's pilots who would be tasked to go to war.
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Defence Notes
Tough calls lie ahead in As-Pac for new US president
24th November 2020
Security challenges abound in Asia-Pacific for the incoming US president - so will he be up to them?
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Naval Warfare
More of the same for Malaysian maritime forces during COVID-19?
21st October 2020
The after-effects of COVID-19 could raise questions over the long-term sustainability of Malaysian maritime forces; even before the pandemic began, the government was struggling to recapitalise ageing assets and introduce more modern capabilities.
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Defence Notes
Eccentricity reigns in Indonesian defence procurements
20th September 2020
On more than one occasion, the Geobukseon has ridiculed India for its defence procurement morass, its inability to make decisions and failure to introduce equipment …
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Defence Notes
China, computer chips and supply chains
20th August 2020
On 14 September 2019, the Islamic Republic of Iran launched an audacious unconventional military attack on critical infrastructure facilities in Saudi Arabia, at Abqaiq and …
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Naval Warfare
US slam dunks Chinese claims in troubled waters
15th July 2020
Last week two USN aircraft carriers (USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan) began exercises in the South China Sea. This week the US government issued …
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Defence Notes
USMC Commandant takes on China (and the Marine Corps)
16th June 2020
Some USMC commandants set their sights higher than others. One’s recent crowning achievement was to antagonise marines by forcing them to unroll their uniform sleeves …
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Defence Notes
USMC must transform to compete with China
15th May 2020
The US Marine Corps has a long and storied history in the Pacific, but the rise of China’s military is forcing the corps to either react …
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Defence Notes
Chinese policy seeks to weaponise the COVID-19 pandemic
15th April 2020
This Geobukseon writer, as a young graduate student, was fortunate to be attending a US university that was visited by the then recently retired former …
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Defence Notes
Taiwan, an island nation under siege
20th March 2020
Few countries are more bullied or ostracised than Taiwan. Whether it is militarily, diplomatically or internationally, China has successfully forced Taiwan into the far-flung outer …
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Naval Warfare
Is the Philippine Navy’s modernisation rudderless?
27th February 2020
Amidst the controversy surrounding Manila’s termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US, the Philippine Navy (PN) finds itself in a peculiar position as …
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Defence Notes
Opinion: Can India escape the morass of bungled procurements?
23rd January 2020
With India hosting its biennial DefExpo exhibition early next month, in yet another new and inconvenient location, it is a timely reminder to consider the …
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Digital Battlespace
Opinion: BeiDou – Friend or foe in space, sea, air and land?
18th December 2019
At 01:43 on 5 November, China launched a Long March-3B carrier rocket with the 49th satellite aboard of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) from …
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Defence Notes
Opinion: The PLA is full of contradictions
15th November 2019
If anyone was watching television or YouTube footage of the 70th anniversary parade by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Beijing on 1 October, it …
