This report examines the state of the U.S.-Australia military alliance, detailing the geopolitical shifts currently underway in Australia’s immediate neighborhood and outlining the extent to which these developments signal the advent of a new era. The seismic nature of these changes has engendered a vigorous strategic debate within Australia over the future of its defense ties with the United States.
The report provides a succinct overview of ongoing debates and examines three different schools of thought in Australia: the Alliance Minimalist School, the Alliance Maximalist School, and the Incrementalist School. Many of the traditional assumptions at the heart of Australian strategic culture are in the process of being overturned, and the U.S.-Australia alliance is increasingly perceived as a bedrock for sustained regional stability.
Building on these observations, the report offers four ways in which Australia could make greater contributions to regional security and deterrence.