26 May, 2013

Warship to join US fleet in hot zone

THE guided-missile frigate HMAS Sydney is about to join the US Seventh Fleet in Japan at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea. ASPI director Peter Jennings said the deployment was significant.

With the estimated cost of accommodating the US Marine taskforce in Darwin coming in at $1.6bn, ASPI analysts Andrew Davies and Mark Thomson have said it made strategic sense for Australia to help out its US ally with the cost of its rebalancing to the Asia- Pacific region at a time of defence budget cuts in both countries

The Australian, p1
Daily Telegraph online
NEWS.com.au
Adelaide Now
Brisbane Courier-Mail

10 May, 2013

Timor-Leste playing for high stakes over oil and gas

Timor-Leste is disputing a 2006 Treaty with Australia on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (CMATS). Anthony Bergin explores this move in this opinion piece.

The Australian online

02 May, 2013

How would Australia cope in a medical emergency like Boston?

It's a sad truth that the horrific acts we've seen in Boston happen all over the world. But it's not clear how Australia would go mounting an effective medical response if faced with a challenge of a similar scale, writes Anthony Bergin.

ABC's The Drum online

02 May, 2013

Defence: Enormous attack on spending

THE Gillard government is set to trim another large chunk from the defence budget as it seeks to cut spending in areas that carry a low risk of political damage, writes Ian McPhedran.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's defence budget expert Mark Thomson said the government should not bow to pressure from industry.
"If we were to get a fourth air warfare destroyer that would be the industry tail wagging the dog," Mr Thomson said.

Daily Telegraph, p4
Daily Telegraph online
Adelaide Advertiser, p5
Courier Mail, p9
Herald Sun, p12
Townsville Bulletin, p19

02 May, 2013

Government closing in on preferred submarine

Debate has centred on whether Australia should buy a bargain basement imported submarine from Europe or go fora nation building local or adapted design and build since the Australian Strategic Policy Institute put a price tag on the latter of $36 billion in 2009.

Australian Financial Review, p21

02 May, 2013

Top Gun test to attract pilots

A new air force recruiting drive allows prospective recruits to go online to take intelligence tests and to simulate flying a jet.

Mark Thomson. a senior defence analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and author of a 2006 recruitment and retention review of the defence force, said interactive entertainment was necessary to attract target demographics.

Australian Financial Review, p21