Australian Journal of Defence and Strategic Studies, volume 2 number 1

In this issue, Bates Gill, Adam Ni and Dennis Blasko lead off with a broad overview of the People's Liberation Army's ambitious structural reforms and modernisation program to develop a highly joint 'world-class military' by mid-century. This article leads to Ross Babbage's challenging discussion highlighting ten questionable assumptions that underpin much Western thinking and strategic planning about future war in the Indo-Pacific. Indeed, the author argues… 'if core assumptions are not subjected to thorough review there is a strong possibility that the United States and its allies and partners will be vulnerable to surprises, which could prove to be disastrous'.

Jonathan Earley offers another perspective in examining the context surrounding the Trump Administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy Report and the US appeal for allies and partners to share more of the regional security burden, particularly as the dominance of the US Navy in the Pacific comes under challenge.

In the next article, Paul Davidson and Jane Tsakissiris, draw on their management and business expertise to contend that military leaders need to be educated in disruption, so that they not only understand it and but can also take advantage of it.

This issue's Focus section presents two articles that offer ways the ADF could contribute to regional resilience while at the same time improving the ADF's own capabilities. Michael C. Reade proposes a comprehensive way forward for the ADF through the adoption of a model similar to the US Humanitarian Civic Assistance program, which could bring significant mutual benefits. This is followed by Adam Mahoney, Scott Squires and Andrew Pearson outlining the benefits to Australia's national security and standing within the region that could be gained from leveraging the ADF's existing and sometimes under-utilised medical capability to build greater mutual capacity.

In the Commentary section, Donna Boulton addresses the vulnerability of Australia's critical infrastructure and globalised supply chains to external shocks and the strategic risks these may have on capacity for rapid national mobilisation. Michael Hatherell, Katherine Mansted and Jade Guan examine the three distinction between information and ideas and consider the strategic and ethical application of ideational power.

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