For many years, Australia’s main defence strategy has basically been to maintain an alliance with the USA, to discourage any unpredictable would-be attackers. But it seems now that the USA itself is becoming unpredictable, and certainly unreliable. They are suddenly just as likely to invade an ‘ally’ themselves rather than defend them.

“You don’t need always to send tanks or artillery through the border to occupy territory. But you can really terrorise neighbouring countries or countries further away with drones, disturbing strategic infrastructure and how it can operate or not operate.”

I guess that doesn’t work as well vs Australia, because we don’t have any land neighbours who can push in after a drone assault. Probably our most powerful defensive strength now is that we’re someone isolated. Lucky us, I guess.