Defence Analyst Says Northern Australia Strategy Too Slow and Fragmented

‘Nothing deters [conflict] more than showing other countries that we are serious about being ready,’ says a defence analyst.

An Australian Army Rheinmetall MAN 40M truck drives across a Fixed Modular Bridge during Exercise Talisman Sabre at Townsville Field Training Area, Queensland, Australia, on July 22, 2025. Caitlyn Davill/Department of Defence

A senior Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) defence analyst says deploying military capabilities in northern Australia would send a strong deterrence to adversaries and boost national security.

Appearing before parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia on May 15, ASPI National Security Program Director John Coyne warned the federal government’s approach to northern Australia was too slow, too fragmented, and too reactive in the current environment.