By Binoy Kampmark In the unpardonable ecosystem of graft, favours and corruption that is defence contracting, defence conferencing and all matters tanking over the thinking – in short, the world of defence – the convenient delusion will always have truck over the inconvenient empirical. Phantoms are elevated and celebrated; bogeymen are treasured by the entire security apparatus that links obeisant …

By Binoy Kampmark IT REMAINS a prickly reminder that Australia is still an embarrassed vassal of power, annexed to the security interests of another state basking in imperial and fast-diminishing splendour.  Pine Gap, known more technically as the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap (JDFPG), is a largely U.S.-operated effort in Alice Springs, Central Australia. As the late scholar of strategic …

by Binoy Kampmark The world of defence policy is truly another planet. There, budgets are given to astronomical burgeoning and bizarre readings.  Threats can be invented or exaggerated.  Insecurity can be inflated.  Decisions for the next project supposedly more lethal and more effective than ever can be made with cavalier disregard to realities.  And the next cockeyed, buffoonish idea can be given a run …

By Brian Boyd, July 2023 This is the third of a three part-series that examines the strategic reasons for the AUKUS pact and the dangers for Australia. REAL NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY While Prime Minister Albanese, Foreign Minister Wong and Defence Minister Marles have gone to great pains to insist that Australia’s ‘national sovereignty’ will govern the operations of the future nuclear …