Taiwan concerns ahead of Leaders talks

Australia’s position on whether it would support the US in a conflict with China over Taiwan has reared ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s October 20 chat with US President Donald Trump. Former US diplomat and senior fellow from the Centre for Democracies Craig Singleton warned a US senate committee the US should not take Australian support for granted particularly if the Trump administration instigated further policies detrimental to its junior ally. Mr Singleton was pointing to the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on Australia including 50 per cent level on imports of copper, aluminium, and steel. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison also called for Taiwan not to be abandoned by the West including Australia in a speech to a Taiwanese thinktank on Wednesday. Australia’s policy on Taiwan was put under the microscope in July after US undersecretary of War for Policy and Pentagon AUKUS review author Elbridge Colby called for Australia to come clean on whether it would support the US in a fl

Submarines Plan B

Senior Albanese government officials from Defence, the Australian Submarine Agency Foreign Affairs and Attorney Generals faced up to a parliamentary hearing into the recently signed Australia–UK AUKUS (Geelong) treaty which underpins the design and build of the AUKUS SSN next decade. Though the treaty seems more about assuring the US amid a Pentagon AUKUS review that Australia, and the UK are fully committed, the hearing confirmed most tenets of the AUKUS deal are still on track. But one issue stood out – the lack of a Plan B should the AUKUS deal collapse. Enter the Australian Strategic Policy Institute with the suggestion the election of the Hawkish new Japanese Prime Minister Taikichi Sanei may provide the opportunity for Canberra to obtain conventional submarines from Tokyo. International Adviser and Strategist Alistair Walton suggested Australia could strike while the iron is hot given Canberra has just sealed a deal with Japan and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to develop the general-purpose frigate. Former Submarine Institute of Australia President, Retd. Rear Admiral Peter Briggs who also fronted the inquiry suggesting rather than the enormous risk of developing the AUKUS SSN with the UK, A

Helicopters arrive in Queensland

The Australian Army’s new attack helicopters have landed in Australia, with the delivery of the first two AH-64E Apache is to RAAF Base Townsville. Acquired through foreign military sales with the United States, the Apache provides critical aviation effects including reconnaissance, communications and networking, firepower, and offensive support. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said in a statement that the proven helicopters were a key element of Army’s transformation into a force optimised for littoral manoeuvre and long-range strike. Boeing Defence Australia will provide support to the new fleet of Apache’s under a seven year contract worth $306 million. The contract will deliver maintenance, engineering, training, and logistics services, and is expected to provide more than 240 industry jobs across Queensland, including 170 jobs in Townsville. Additional training and employment opportunities are expected to be created through the establish

Defence West new role as AUKUS builds up

WA Premier Roger Cook has announced Defence West will become a statutory body to act as an engine for Western Australia’s defence sector. First established in 2017 by the Labor Government, he says Defence West will now evolve into an independent agency that will supercharge WA’s defence industries. Its envisaged Defence West will provide a key point of contact for the Australian Department of Defence and signal to the Commonwealth, industry leaders and global allies that the Western Australian Government sees defence work as a priority. Military and defence industry specialists appointed to the agency will advocate for the industry directly with top decision-makers and provide independent advice to the WA Government. Defence West will also have powers to enter into business arrangements and provide targeted industry support, with appropriate approvals. The move to create a statutory body dedicated to defence comes as the State gears up for the buildup in AUKUS activity, including regular UK and US nuclear su

Droneshield expands R&D in SA

Counter-drone technology company DroneShield will invest $13 million over three years to establish a new R&D facility in Adelaide. In a statement for the ASX Droneshield said the new facility will create around 20 high-skilled engineering roles in Adelaide, as the company surpasses 400 employees globally this week. DroneShield said it picked the Adelaide location due to its proximity to leading global defence and aerospace organisations, and established infrastructure supporting advanced technology development, particularly in electronic warfare (EW) and radiofrequency systems. The new site is expected to be up and running by March 2026. Droneshield CEO Oleg Vornik said South Australia was a recognised national leader in defence and space with a highly skilled and experienced workforce. South Australian Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas said he welcomed DroneShield making the choice to conduct research and development in Adelaide. He added that SA had a strong focus on growing its research and development ecosystem to contribute to economic prosperity.