Vince Scappatura
Vince Scappatura is Sessional Academic in the Macquarie School of International Studies at Macquarie University, and author of “The US Lobby and Australian Defence Policy”, Melbourne: Monash University Publishing, 2019. He recently published “B-2 Bomber Strikes in Yemen and their Significance for Australia”, Nautilus Institute Special Report, 11 November 2024.
Recent articles by Vince Scappatura
7 September 2025
When Australia defied US nuclear plans. Part 2: Sovereignty at stake
Declassified US. Pacific Command Histories, which provide much of what is now known about the Australian B-52 terrain avoidance and maritime surveillance missions, reveal that the Fraser Government was far from transparent with the public about the true stakes of the B-52 deployments to Australia – and perhaps not fully cognisant itself.
6 September 2025
When Australia defied US nuclear plans. Part 1: B-52s over Australia in the 1980s
It wasn’t always like this. For a brief moment Australia stood apart.
12 November 2024
B-2 Bomber Strikes in Yemen and their significance for Australia
Australian territory has been used in supporting US B-2 bombers en route and in return from strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on October 17, and highlights the profound strategic significance of this event for the future role Australia may play in US strategic bomber operations against China, in the Asia Pacific and beyond.
14 October 2024
Australia’s evolving nuclear posture: avoiding a fait accompli (Part 2 of 2)
The significance of US strategic bomber deployments:Defence Minister Richard Marles played down revelations in late 2022 that up to six US B-52 strategic bombers are to be forward-deployed to Tindal Air Force Base, telling reporters at the time that ‘everyone needs to take a deep breath here.’ Marles implied that there was nothing new about the revelations given US bombers have ‘been coming to Australia since the 1980s’ and ‘training in Australia since 2005.’
12 October 2024
Australia’s evolving nuclear posture: avoiding a fait accompli (Part 1 of 2)
A monumental transformation: There has been a great deal of public criticism of Australia’s decision to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) via the AUKUS security partnership. The criticism has been both broad and deep, spanning political and industrial challenges, budgetary consequences, safety and environmental concerns, strategic risks, and the erosion of national sovereignty.
1 September 2024
Nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress bombers: a visual guide to identification
The primary aim of this Nautilus Special Report is to provide robust, authoritative and transparent information for use by governments and their publics in countries that host the B-52H Stratofortress bomber, as to which of the 76 B-52H aircraft in the current (as of mid- 2024) US Air Force active fleet are capable of delivering nuclear weapons, and which can deliver only conventional, non-nuclear weapons.
31 August 2024
‘They will tell me.’ Malcolm Fraser’s Cold War nuclear heterodoxy and Labor’s willed ignorance today
The United States Government doctrine of neither confirming nor denying the presence or absence of nuclear weapons on board US aircraft has been virtually unchanged in almost 70 years, with a very small number of exceptions.
24 June 2023
AUKUS: Paul Monk praises elitism, derides Australia’s vibrant civil society
In an opinion piece published in The Weekend Australian (10 June 2023), Paul Monk offers his response to critics of the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine agreement. A central focus of his critique is this open letter signed by more than 100 academics. As two of the principal co-authors of the letter, we requested a right of reply, but received no response from The Australian’s Opinion Editor. The following is our rebuttal to Monk’s criticisms of the letter.
2 May 2023
‘National Defence’ takes Australia closer to war with China
The 2023 Defence Strategic Review has recommended Australia adopt a new strategic conceptual framework dubbed ‘National Defence’ that incorporates a ‘strategy of denial’. This approach is tied to a broader concept of ‘collective security’ in the Indo-Pacific and is aligned with America’s framework for ‘integrated deterrence’ of China. ‘National Defence’ is consistent with American force structure designs to develop the northern Australian expanse as an increasingly important base of operations for force-projection.
7 September 2022
“Pitch Black.” Not a benign military training exercise
The military exercise “Pitch Black” is currently underway in Northern Australia.
14 August 2019
American missiles in Darwin?
While in Australia last week for the annual Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN), U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, twice hinted at the possibility of Australia becoming host to American missiles pointed at China. Although Prime Minister Scott Morrison attempted to rule a line under the idea, it is unlikely to be the end of the story.
21 June 2019
MARK BEESON. The US Lobby and Australian Defence Policy, Vince Scappatura, Monash Publishing (a review)
One of the most enduring features of Australia’s foreign and strategic policies is the close relationship between this country and the United States. A number of other countries such as Britain and Japan also claim to have a ‘special relationship’ with the US, but no country has worked more assiduously to turn that rhetoric into reality. Indeed, it is difficult to think of a country that has made greater sacrifices of blood and treasure than Australia has on behalf of its American ally and notional security guarantor.