James O'Connor

James O'Connor is a student of Security Studies at the Walanga Muru, Macquarie University in Australia. Also a pro athlete, James is on the AFL watchlist for 2027.

Opinion

October 29, 2026

Why the 2026 U.S. Midterms Will Force Australia to Hedge Harder

The 2026 midterm elections in the United States represent a consequential juncture in the evolution of the U.S.-led international order and, by extension, Australia’s strategic environment. Their significance lies not merely in

Europe·Opinion

October 11, 2026

Britain Can Fight Abroad, But Can It Defend the Homeland?

The evolving security environment in Europe has exposed significant vulnerabilities in the United Kingdom’s approach to homeland defence, particularly concerning the protection of military installations and critical national infrastructure. The reported withdrawal

Americas·Europe·Middle East·Opinion

September 24, 2026

The New Economics of War at Sea

Two very different maritime wars are rewriting some of the oldest assumptions about naval power. In the Black Sea, Ukraine has demonstrated that a country with virtually no conventional fleet can impose

The New Architects of the Indo-Pacific

For most of the postwar era, the map of Asian power ran through a familiar set of capitals: Washington, Beijing, Tokyo. India sat, geographically and strategically, off to the side—a subcontinental power

July 20, 2026

Asia·Australia·Opinion

The Quiet Architecture of Power: What India’s Indo-Pacific Swing Really Means

When a head of government spends six days moving through three countries, it is tempting to file the trip under ceremony: handshakes, banquets, a joint statement or two, and a return home

July 14, 2026

Asia·Australia·Opinion

Australia and India Just Struck the Deal Noone Saw Coming

Melbourne just hosted a quiet revolution in the Indo-Pacific, and it deserved louder applause than it got. When Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Narendra Modi finalized an administrative arrangement to begin uranium

July 9, 2026

Asia·Australia·Opinion

What the US and Iran Agreed On; and What They Didn’t

The U.S.-Iran deal is a broad interim framework that combines an immediate ceasefire, naval and trade de-escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear restraints, sanctions relief, and a promise to negotiate a

June 20, 2026

Explainer

Plugging AI into the American War Machine

The Pentagon’s new AI task force is an inflection point: it could harden America’s most sensitive networks against rapidly evolving cyber threats—or quietly wire fragile, corporate-built AI into the heart of U.S.

May 21, 2026

Americas·Opinion

Pakistan’s Internal Unraveling

India’s four-day war with Pakistan in May 2025 left Pakistan facing intensifying political, economic, and social crises at home even as its leaders worked hard to project strength and diplomatic relevance abroad.

May 12, 2026

Asia·Opinion

A Taiwan War Won’t be Decided by Firepower Alone

If conflict breaks out over Taiwan, the decisive question may not be how many missiles China can fire, but how quickly the United States can repair, replace, and return ships to the

April 21, 2026

Americas·Asia·Opinion

America’s Everywhere War

The striking thing about the new U.S. military “front” in Ecuador is not that Washington cares about narcotics, every administration says it does, but that the Trump administration is increasingly treating disparate

March 4, 2026

Americas·Opinion

A Strategic Triad for the Future: Australia-Canada-India Forge a New Tech Alliance

In the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape of the 21st century, alliances that combine economic power, technological innovation, and shared democratic values are defining the contours of global influence. At the G20 summit

November 23, 2025

Americas·Asia·Australia·Opinion

Defence, Trade, and Tech: The Strategic Trifecta of Australia-India Relations

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s ongoing visit to India is more than a diplomatic routine; it’s a strategic moment that underscores a rapid expansion in Australia-India ties, signaling a geopolitical shift in

November 19, 2025

Asia·Australia·Opinion

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James O'Connor

Why the 2026 U.S. Midterms Will Force Australia to Hedge Harder

Britain Can Fight Abroad, But Can It Defend the Homeland?

The New Economics of War at Sea

The New Architects of the Indo-Pacific

The Quiet Architecture of Power: What India’s Indo-Pacific Swing Really Means

Australia and India Just Struck the Deal Noone Saw Coming

What the US and Iran Agreed On; and What They Didn’t

Plugging AI into the American War Machine

Pakistan’s Internal Unraveling

A Taiwan War Won’t be Decided by Firepower Alone

America’s Everywhere War

A Strategic Triad for the Future: Australia-Canada-India Forge a New Tech Alliance

Defence, Trade, and Tech: The Strategic Trifecta of Australia-India Relations

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