The Strategist Six, a feature that provides a glimpse into the thinking of prominent academics, government officials, military officers, reporters and interesting individuals from around the world.

Congress, meanwhile, has named a new commission to review the NDS, military readiness, the strategic environment and other issues.

North Korea has “proven adept over the years at using force in pretty calibrated ways to achieve political objectives,” said Thomas Mahnken, president of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, which does war-game planning. He said the North takes advantage of the relative unwillingness of the United States and South Korea to risk war.

“We lived in a period from the end of the Cold War until the recent past where we could delude ourselves that we lived in a risk-free world — and that era is over,” Mahnken said.

From time to time Australia has feared foreign invasion, whether by France, Russia, Japan or even (in the early 19th century) a rising US. The threat became real during World War II when the Asian order collapsed, bringing Japanese military forces to Australia’s front door. 

In an article in The Australian today — which is co-written by Thomas Mahnken, a former ­defence strategist for George W. Bush’s administration and now chief executive of the US Centre for Strategic and Budgetary ­Assessments — they argue that Australia needs to get over ideological “hang-ups” on missile ­defence capability.

A former defence strategist for George W. Bush’s administration and now chief executive of the US Centre for Strategic and Budgetary ­Assessments joined Shearer’s call that Australia should be planning for a longer-term continental missile shield for Australia.